Fremont junior Maggie Mendelson makes USA Basketball U16 Women’s National Team
In this June 2021 photo, Fremont High junior Maggie Mendelson prepares to pass the ball during a practice session with the USA Basketball U16 Women's National Team finalists in Indianapolis.
First there were 34, then 16 and then 12. Maggie Mendelson is one of the 12.
The 6-foot-5 Fremont High junior has been named to the 2021 USA Basketball Women’s U16 National Team, which the organization announced Friday night after tryout camp in Indianapolis. She is one of 12 players who will suit up in red, white and blue at this summer’s FIBA Americas Championship in Chile.
Mendelson
“The past two days were extremely competitive, which made it incredibly difficult to get down to 12 players,” said Sue Phillips, the USA U16 National Team head coach. “This team has a lot of versatility, which is important in these competitions, and immense talent for this age level. I’m really happy with this team and I can’t wait to get back together for training camp in August.”
Mendelson and the rest of the team will return for training camp on Aug. 4 in anticipation of playing in the tournament Aug. 16-22 in Chile. She’s now the second Fremont player to make the U16 national team after Timea Gardiner made the U16 team in 2019, which won the FIBA Americas Championship in Puerto Aysen, Chile.
Mendelson, who is the only member of this year’s team from the state of Utah or the Mountain Time Zone, is one of nine incoming high school juniors on the team, while the three other team members will be sophomores.
For the Silverwolves this past season, Mendelson averaged 14.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, 1.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 58.4% from the field, earning her Standard-Examiner All-Area Girls Basketball First Team honors. She helped Fremont win the 6A state championship with a 26-0 record and qualify for Geico Nationals.
Mendelson is a highly ranked national recruit in both volleyball and basketball and has expressed a desire to play both simultaneously in college. Last summer, Mendelson was named to the USA Volleyball Girls Youth National Training Team.