The National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) has announced it’s final roster for the 2019 U.S. Women’s U25 World Championship Team. This selection was made at the conclusion of the three-day Toyota Team USA Women’s Selection Camp, at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. The U.S. Women’s U25 World Championship Team will comprise of 12 athletes that will compete at the 2019 IWBF Women’s U25 Wheelchair Basketball World Championships between 22nd to the 30th May 2019, in Suphanburi, Thailand.
The 2019 U.S. Women’s U25 World Championship Team will be led into the competition by head coach Trooper Johnson. He said, ‘This is one of the best selection camps I have had the pleasure of being a part of. I am excited and honoured to have selected such a talented roster of athletes to represent the United States of America at the IWBF U25 Women’s World Championships.”
The headliner of the team is Rose Hollermann a member of the gold-medal winning team U.S. Women’s team from the 2016 Rio Paralympics. Hollermann is the sole member of the team with experience playing in this event having played in the 2011 IWBF U25 Women’s World Championships. Hollermann carries a wealth of international playing experience, representing the U.S. most notably at two Paralympics (2012 and 2016).
Hollermann is joined by fellow 2016 Rio Paralympic gold medallist Abigail Dunkin, as a veteran presence for the roster. This is the fifth straight year Dunkin joins the ranks of a U.S. Women’s team participating in an international competition. Dunkin hopes to add to her trophy case and a podium finish in her debut appearance at the IWBF U25 Women’s World Championships.
Alejandra Ibanez, Riley Ljungdahl and Bailey Moody, are looking to build on their development from the 2018 IWBF World Championships. Ibanez and Ljungdahl are silver medallists from the U.S. team that competed at the 2017 America’s Cup Zonal Qualifier in Cali, Columbia.
Abigail Bauleke, Angelina “Nina” Welfle, and Elizabeth Becker join the squad as first-time members of a U.S. national team. Bauleke joins the team is one of the youngest members of the team and currently plays for the Minnesota Jr. Rolling Timberwolves in the NWBA’s Junior Division. Welfle and Becker are looking to gain their first international experience while wearing red, white and blue for the U.S.
The following group of 2017 and 2018 U.S. Women’s team members are hungry for their second podium finish at an international event: Emily Oberst, Lindsey Zurbrugg, Josie Aslakson, and Ixhelt Gonzalez.
The 2019 U.S. Women’s U25 World Championship Team will start their final preparations at a Toyota Team USA Training Camp scheduled for the 24th – 28th April at the Olympic Training Center.
2019 USA Women’s Wheelchair Basketball National Team Roster
Rose Hollermann
Josie Aslakson
Abigail Dunkin
Alejandra Ibanez
Riley Ljungdahl
Bailey Moody
Abigail Bauleke
Angelina “Nina” Welfle
Elizabeth Becker
Ixhelt Gonzalez
Emily Oberst
Lindsey Zurbrugg
About U.S. U25 Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team
The U.S. Women’s U25 Wheelchair Basketball Team is an international development team that serves as our pipeline to the U.S. Women’s National Team. This program gives our elite youth athletes the opportunity to compete at the international level, obtain their official IWBF Classification and may be entered into the pipeline of athletes for future U.S. Women’s Teams. Team USA won gold at the inaugural IWBF Women’s U25 World Championship in 2011 held in St. Catharines, Canada. The U.S. did not participate in the event in 2015 in Beijing, China.
