Revisiting USA's star-studded 2019 U-19 FIBA roster featuring Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers before they took over WNBA | Sporting News
The Sporting News · David Suggs · 2026-09-06T07:50:48+00:00 · nguồn gốc
Team USA's performance in the 2019 U-19 World Cup was enchanting. Seven years on, the displays authored up by some of the team's highest-profile players feel like a precursor of their future success.
That 2019 roster was littered with luminaries, including Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Rhyne Howard and Aliyah Boston. It was a team that rolled through the group stage, besting its foes by an average of 30 points.
Things got a little tighter during the knockout stages. The Americans fended off Belgium's late-game rally in the semis before downing Australia in overtime to take home gold. Bueckers earned MVP honors during the tourney, a premonition for her glint showcases in college and the pros.
Who else joined her on the podium that year? And what has come of their basketball careers in the years since their triumph in Thailand? Here's what you need to know.
MORE: When is Caitlin Clark's next game with Team USA?
2019 USA U-19 FIBA roster
| Player | Position | College | Team |
| Ashley Joens | G | Iowa State | Athinaikos (Greece) |
| Paige Bueckers | G | UConn | Wings |
| Caitlin Clark | G | Iowa | Fever |
| Celeste Taylor | G | Texas/Duke/Ohio State | N/A |
| Cameron Brink | F | Stanford | Sparks |
| Hailey Van Lith | G | Louisville/LSU | Sun |
| Queen Egbo | F | Baylor | N/A |
| Naz Hillmon | F | Michigan | Dream |
| Diamond Miller | G | Maryland | Sun |
| Rhyne Howard | G | Kentucky | Dream |
| Aliyah Boston | F | South Carolina | Fever |
| Fran Belibi | F | Stanford | N/A |
The 2019 USA U-19 roster has enjoyed marked success at the professional level, with six players earning lottery distinction during the WNBA Draft. Clark and Bueckers are the standouts. But Howard and Boston have emerged as some of the sport's best two-way players, while Cameron Brink and Naz Hillmon have shown flashes of excellences during their still-budding careers.
All told, four players heard their names called first in their respective WNBA Draft: Howard, Boston, Clark and Bueckers. That glint quartet has racked up the hardware thus far, combining to claim four Rookie of the Year awards, 13 All-Star appearances, three All-WNBA berths and an incalculable number of highlights. Their reign of terror looks all but certain to continue in the years to come; all are 26 years old or younger.
Not everyone has been able to find success in the professional game. Ashley Joens established herself as one of college basketball's best talents at Iowa State, prompting the Wings to select her in the second round of the 2023 Draft. She has only played 19 WNBA games to date, most recently turning out for Athens-based side Athinaikos. Diamond Miller has bounced around a bit since being selected No. 2 in the 2023 Draft, while Queen Egbo and Celeste Taylor are currently out of the league. High-flyer Fran Belbi opted to retire after finishing her career at Stanford, opting to pursue a master's degree at Harvard instead.
Still, the success rate for those draped in USA colors during the 2019 U-19 competition was remarkably high. With Clark, Bueckers, Boston and Howard all expected to add to their collection of honors, that team's influence should continue to linger.
MORE: Updated game logs for Caitlin Clark at 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup
2019 USA U-19 stats
Here's a look at the numbers posted by the team en route to a gold medal:
| Player | FG% | 3PT% | FT% | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG |
| Paige Bueckers | 43.4% | 35.3% | 60.0% | 11.6 | 4.1 | 5.4 | 1.9 | 0.6 |
| Nazahrah Hillmon-Baker | 48.9% | 0.0% | 46.2% | 7.4 | 7.6 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.0 |
| Hailey Van Lith | 41.1% | 29.4% | 56.5% | 9.1 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 0.0 |
| Rhyne Howard | 38.5% | 44.7% | 78.9% | 13.1 | 5.1 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0.4 |
| Aliyah Boston | 44.3% | 0.0% | 55.6% | 8.4 | 6.1 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.6 |
| Celeste Taylor | 36.6% | 10.0% | 66.7% | 5.0 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 0.3 |
| Fran Belibi | 68.8% | 0.0% | 47.6% | 7.7 | 7.3 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 0.9 |
| Caitlin Clark | 33.3% | 25.0% | 80.0% | 5.3 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 0.1 |
| Queen Egbo | 58.3% | 0.0% | 72.2% | 7.9 | 5.4 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| Ashley Joens | 18.5% | 12.5% | 25.0% | 1.9 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.1 |
| Diamond Miller | 33.3% | 0.0% | 100% | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| Cameron Brink | 30.8% | 0.0% | 33.3% | 2.0 | 3.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.8 |
MORE: Meet Zhang Ziyu, China's 7-foot-2 center at FIBA Women's World Cup