Photo courtesy of USA Basketball.
Chelsea’s Michaella Edwards was invited to the USA Basketball U16 national team trials in Colorado on May 25-29.
Michaella Edwards now has tangible proof that she is considered one of the top basketball players amongst girls of the same age across the country.
Edwards, a rising junior at Chelsea High School, was recently one of 133 girls to compete for a spot on the USA Basketball U16 national team. She traveled to the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and took part in the May 25-29 trials.
From that group, 12 were kept to be part of the team that won gold in the FIBA Americas championship in Argentina June 11.
The trials consisted of extensive drills and exposed the players to drills that would likely be used at college and professional levels of basketball. There were also scrimmage opportunities in the latter portion of the trials, and Edwards was pleased with how she stacked up with the competition.
“I feel like I did pretty well,” she said. “I’m definitely not far behind them. Those are the best people in my grade in the entire nation, and I would say that I can keep up with them and play with them.”
Edwards did not learn of her acceptance until a month prior to leaving, which caused some anxiety.
“I was so excited but I got really nervous because I didn’t know I was going to go up there until like a month out,” she said.
Even being behind on the training and conditioning curve compared to some of the other participants, she enjoyed her experience — one that has left her with a desire to get back to the same stage next year and with a new goal.
“I want to make the team next year,” Edwards said. “I’ve come back and I’ve already started training for it. I want to go back next year and make the team.”
Chelsea had one of its best seasons in school history last season, and Edwards hopes that her time playing with the best the country has to offer will only help the Lady Hornets.
“I think that me going up there is going to be able to help the team,” she said. “We know the level we need to be at to succeed.”
