The South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball team might be in the heart of the off-season in June. But there are a few Gamecocks who are playing for Team USA in international tournaments. Just last week, Joyce Edwards helped the 3x3 team take home a gold medal in the FIBA World Cup.
Gamecock incoming freshman Kelsi Andrews is also playing for Team USA at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup, which is taking place in Irapuato, Mexico. Andrews, who was invited to the team's trials and made the final roster, has emerged as a key starter for Team USA. She helped her team win all three of their games, and it is now moving on to the semifinal round. During Team USA's 125-53 victory over Mexico, Andrews had one of her best outings, scoring six points with four assists and three rebounds. She played for 15 minutes in the victory.
Across her first three games, she has scored 15 points while adding nine boards and 10 assists. Andrews missed her senior season in 2025 at IMG Academy thanks to a knee injury, so her coming back so strong is a positive sign for head coach Dawn Staley. According to Gamecock Central, Staley was in attendance on Friday to watch Andrews play against Paraguay.
The upcoming 2026-27 season will be Andrews' true freshman season at Columbia, so she is certainly getting some valuable experience during the tournament. Andrews is no stranger to winning on big international stages. She has won gold medals while playing for Team USA at the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup and the 2023 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.
📍 Irapuato, Mexico 🇲🇽
— USABJNT (@usabjnt) June 9, 2026
The 🇺🇸#USABWU18 tips off the #U18AmeriCupW tomorrow vs 🇦🇷 Argentina!
Catch the action on https://t.co/ClL3a2npL0! pic.twitter.com/62KZLB3mzN
“Kelsi brings a unique combination of size, skill and versatility that perfectly fit how we want to play,” Staley said of Andrews last fall. “Her basketball IQ, defensive presence and resilience make her a special addition to our Gamecock family. And, with her ability to score inside, stretch the floor with her 3-point shot and impact the game on both ends of the court, she has the potential to continue our legacy of elite frontcourt players.”
Team USA will play the winner of Saturday night's Venezuela-Mexico game on Sunday evening, and it should start around 10 p.m. ET. The team includes several players that Staley and the Gamecocks are recruiting, such as 2027 prospects Jezelle Banks, Jordyn Palmer, Sydney Savoury, and Kaleena Smith, as well as 2028 prospect Sydney Douglas.
You can catch all games live streaming on the FIBA YouTube channel.
Hopefully Andrews can help her team win gold, and perhaps Coach Staley will be there to see it.
ALSO READ: South Carolina fans help Dawn Staley, Gamecocks lead in key statistic once again
Add us as a preferred source on Google