Moore, Walz Part of 2015 USA Basketball Team of the Year Honor
December 10, 2015 | Women's Basketball
Jeff Walz, an assistant coach on the U-19 Team, and Mariya Moore helped the U.S. win gold.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Louisville women's basketball's Jeff Walz and Mariya Moore already earned gold medals over the summer.
On Thursday, the gold medal U.S. Women's U-19 World Championship squad picked up another honor, sharing the 2015 USA Basketball Team of the Year honor with the men's U-19 team.
“These two USA U-19 teams represented the United States with tremendous sportsmanship and teamwork on their way to gold medals,” Jim Tooley, USA Basketball CEO/Executive Director, said. “The FIBA U-19 World Championships are extremely competitive tournaments that feature the best talent from around the world, including young professional players. The USA U-19 teams played truly impressive basketball, and we are proud to celebrate their golden achievements.”
Moore, who has been stellar on the international scene, had a solid all-around game in the championship, with six points, five rebounds, and three assists. In seven games, the sophomore averaged 10.3 points on 47.7 percent shooting, connecting on a U.S.-best 11-of-25 from 3-point range. She also added 2.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
It's the second-consecutive summer that Moore and Walz, who served as an assistant on the team that went 7-0, earned gold medals. Combined, they are 12-0 with USA Basketball. In August 2014, Moore and Walz guided the U.S. U-18 Women's National Team to a 5-0 mark for USA Basketball's seventh-consecutive gold medal in the FIBA Americas U-18 Championship.
Averaging just over 18 years of age, the women's team's won by an average margin of 32.1 points per game.
USA Basketball
Based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA Basketball, chaired by Jerry Colangelo, is a nonprofit organization and the national governing body for men's and women's basketball in the United States. As the recognized governing body for basketball in the U.S. by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), USA Basketball is responsible for the selection, training and fielding of USA teams that compete in FIBA-sponsored international competitions, as well as for some national competitions, and for the development of youth basketball initiatives that address player development, coach education and safety.
USA Basketball men's and women's teams between 2012-15 compiled a spectacular 151-6 win-loss record in FIBA and FIBA Americas competitions, the World University Games and the Nike Hoop Summit, and posted a 92-15 win-loss record in official FIBA and FIBA Americas 3x3 competitions.
USA teams are the current men's and women's champions in the Olympics; men's FIBA World Cup and women's FIBA World Championship; men's and women's FIBA U19 and U17 World Championships; men's and women's U18 FIBA Americas Championships; men's U16 FIBA Americas Championship; the FIBA 3x3 Women's World Championship; and the women's Youth Olympic Games. USA Basketball currently ranks No. 1 in all five of FIBA's world-ranking categories, including combined, men's, women's, boys and girls.
For further information about USA Basketball, go to the official Web site of USA Basketball at www.usab.com and connect with us on facebook.com/usabasketball, twitter.com/usabasketball, plus.google.com/+usabasketball, instagram.com/usabasketball and youtube.com/usab.
