Central Arkansas Christian junior-to-be Christyn Williams was named recently to the USA Women’s U17 National Team after tryouts at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Team USA will play in the FIBA U17 World Championship in Spain June 22-July 2.
Williams, who went from uninvited walkon to an alternate for the U16 team last year, was an invitee in 2016. She survived five cuts as the number of athletes was culled from 139 at the start of the trials to 101, then 73, 41, 18 and the final 12.
“Anyone that knows me well, knows that this was one of my biggest goals that I wanted to accomplish, and now that I’ve finally achieved it, it is a really great feeling to see all my hard work finally paying off,” said Williams, 16, a 5-10 ambidextrous guard/forward who has an offer from UConn among her 24 scholarship possibilities. “I am just genuinely happy, and so is my family.”
After a couple of days home last week, Williams returned to training camp for practices June 8-14. The team was to depart June 15 for Spain, where the Americans will compete among 16 teams in preliminary rounds June 22-25. The USA team is in Group C along with Italy, the Czech Republic and South Korea.
Other teams in the International Basketball Federation tournament, which will run June 27 through the medal games July 2, include Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Hungary, Japan, Mali, Mexico, Slovakia and Spain.
The Americans are the three-time defending gold medalists. According to the USA Basketball web page, the FIBA U17 World Championship for Women, held every two years, started in 2010. USA Basketball’s U17 team won the tournament in 2010, ‘12 and ‘14, and its record at the FIBA U17s is 23-0
CAC coach Steve Quattlebaum said he wasn’t surprised Williams made the final cut this time.
“It really hurt her feelings last year that she didn’t make it,” he said. “It crushed her. Ever since she got back, her No. 1 goal was to get back there and make that team. She’s excited, and I think she’ll do really well.”
Williams, who led CAC to a Class 4A state runner-up finish as a sophomore, has started all 69 games during her Mustang Mountain career. Her stats include 1,678 points, 650 rebounds, 73 assists, 150 steals and 62 blocked shots. She has career highs of 47 points last season and 14 rebounds as a sophomore.
A Q&A with the those on the final roster on the USA Basketball website included this exchange with Williams:
“How did it feel when your name was called?
Man, it is the greatest feeling ever. My name didn’t get called last year, and I worked my butt off to hear my name get called this year. It’s just a great feeling.
What do you think you bring to the team?
Great leadership, and I’m a scorer, so points on the board, and positivity.
Did you feel like you had played well?
Yeah, I thought I did really well. Better than last year, so I thought I improved.”
The roster also includes Janelle Bailey (Providence Day School/Matthews, N.C.); Jenna Brown (The Lovett School/Ruckersville, Va.); Sam Brunelle (William Monroe High School/Ruckersville, Va.); Charli Collier (Barbers Hill HS/Mont Belvieu, Texas); Aquira DeCosta (St. Mary’s HS/Stockton, Calif.); Maya Dodson (St. Francis HS/Alpharetta, Ga.); Destanni Henderson (Fort Meyers HS/Fort Meyers, Fla.); Taylor Mikesell (Jackson HS/Massillon, Ohio); Olivia Nelson-Ododa (Winder-Barrow H.S./Winder, Ga.); Sedona Prince (Liberty Hill HS/Liberty Hill, Texas); and Abby Prohaska (Lakota West HS/Liberty Township, Ohio).
Coaches are Dori Oldaker of Mt. Lebanon (Pa.) High School, Dianne Lewis of Thomas Edison (Va.) High School and Samantha Quigley of the NAIA’s University of St. Francis in Illinois.
After the final roster was announced, Williams posted on Twitter:
“Definitely a dream come true, couldn’t be more proud to be able to represent and play for my country.”
Quattlebaum said the accomplishment reflected well on Williams as well as her Lady Mustang teammates.
“You don’t get chosen to teams like that without being a good team player,” he said. “That was one of the things they were high on about her. She is a very unselfish player. I’m really proud of her.”
Doug Killgore, athletic director at CAC, said Williams was the first player from Central Arkansas in recent memory to make the national team.
“She is very competitive,” he said. “She takes the responsibility; she wants the ball. She has a tremendous work ethic. She doesn’t need her buddies around; she is good working in the gym on her own, just her and the coach.
“She is coachable, and I’m sure that had to score a point. You bring that many people together from across the country, it’s going to take a dynamic to get them to work together and play together, especially when you’re out there with a bunch of stars. They’ve been big fish in little ponds; now they become smaller fish in a lot bigger pond.”
Williams said after returning from Spain, she would join her AAU team for the rest of the summer.
“I have had so much support these past few years from friends, family and from people that I barely even know, and it is just very humbling to see God guiding my path,” she said.
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