South Carolina women's basketball: Joyce Edwards invited to USA Basketball AmeriCup team trials
South Carolina forward Joyce Edwards has been invited to USA Basketball’s AmeriCup team trials in Colorado Springs.
Edwards, a 6-3 rising sophomore from Camden, SC, is one of 21 college players invited to participate. The trials begin on June 17. Duke’s Kara Lawson is the head coach, with assistants DeLisha Milton-Jones (Old Dominion) and Jennie Baranczyk (Oklahoma).
As a freshman, Edwards averaged a team-high 12.7 points and 5.0 rebounds. She previously won gold medals with the USA 2024 U18 AmeriCup team and the 2023 U19 World Cup teams. Edwards was the AmeriCup MVP and named to the World Cup All-Star Five. She also played for the US team at the 2024 Nike Hoop Summit.
Earlier this offseason, Edwards participated in the USA Basketball 3X Nationals. Teamed with Chloe Kitts, Tessa Johnson, and Maddy McDaniel, her South Carolina team earned a third-place finish.
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The other 20 players invited are Raegan Beers, Mikayla Blakes, Madison Booker, Mara Braun, Addyson Brown, Jaloni Cambridge, Audi Crooks, Margaret Doogan, Joyce Edwards, Stailee Heard, Hannah Hidalgo, Flau’jae Johnson, Gianna Kneepkens, Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, Olivia Miles, Khamil Pierre, Reigan Richardson, Kennedy Smith, Hannah Stuelke, Grace VanSlooten, and Payton Verhulst.
The AmeriCup tournament runs from June 28 through July 6 in Chile. The roster has to be trimmed from 21 to 12 before the tournament.
The AmeriCup tournament is a qualifying tournament for the World Cup and the Olympics and is open to senior national teams. However, because the United States has such a deep talent pool, the Americans typically send developmental teams.
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Edwards is not the only Gamecock vying for an AmeriCup appearance. South Carolina’s incoming freshman Ayla McDowell and former player Kamilla Cardoso have been named to Brazil’s preliminary roster.
Brazil’s two WNBA players, Cardoso and Damiris Dantas, have been excused from training camp to continue with the WNBA season. They are being allowed to join the team for the tournament only. The other players on the preliminary roster will participate in training camp beginning on June 15. A friendly against Canada is scheduled for June 22.
Cardoso led Brazil to the gold medal in the 2023 AmeriCup, beating the USA (and her teammate Raven Johnson) in the final. Cardoso was named tournament MVP, setting the stage for her dominant senior season at South Carolina.
Agot Makeer, South Carolina’s other incoming freshman, is part of Canada’s 25-player senior national team pool. However, she was not one of the 16 players invited to Canada’s AmeriCup trials. Makeer starred for Canada at the U18 AmeriCup last summer, when she was named to the All-Star Five.
Former Gamecock Laeticia Amihere, a two-time Olympian for Canada, was not invited either. Her focus is on the WNBA, and Canada is focused on developing younger players.
