Ashley MacCalla
Arianna Robinson is challenged by Ashley MacCalla on Saturday's session of the U17 Trials. *Photo by Chris Hansen.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado – For evaluating players, the annual pilgrimage to the U.S. Olympic Training Center is perhaps the best place to get extensive matchups between the nation’s best. The 2026 installment, which is the 20th year I’ve made this trip, deserves a tip of the cap to the selection committee, as the field is deep and versatile.
The first half of trials, which is before the first big cut on Saturday afternoon, has a relaxed vibe. The players seem to see this as a safe place to compete. Historically the session before the first cut you see a change.
One of the intriguing questions for this team is the same as the U16 team a year ago; what to do with the point guard position?
There’s a wealth of versatility, but the number of true or pure point guards is minimal. Last summer they had Morghan Reckley (Fayetteville, Georgia) at point and then several highly versatile combo guards.
Could Arianna Robinson (Plano, Texas) play some point guard against top European and Asian competition? The answer is probably yes. Could Khloe Nicholson (Quincy, Illinois)? Probably. Chloe Johnson (Hermantown, Minnesota)? Yep. The list of players who could seems extensive. Even Kristen Winston (Hoover, Alabama), saw significant minutes playing the point in scrimmages.
Morghan Reckley draws help in live action from the U17 National Team Trials. *Photo by Chris Hansen.
The Final 22
Saturday the USA Basketball selection committee trimmed the lineup of more than 40 athletes down to 22 finalists. That group will continue through Memorial Day when the final 12-player roster is selected to compete for the 2026 U17 FIBA World Cup .
Jazman Bailey
Love Lei Best
Caroline Bradley
Harper Dunn
JaKaila Gaskin
Reece Gilpatrick
Tatianna Griffin
Jhaliana Guy
Jordyn Haywood
Mailya Hunter
Chloe Johnson
Olivia Jones
Eve Long
Ashley MacCalla
Saniyah Murray
Micah Ojo
Ari Peterson
Morghan Reckley
Nya Riak
Arianna Robinson
Nation Williams
Ivanna Wilson Manyacka
Breakout Performer
This event being the weekend right after the live viewing period allows for some bleeding over the edges. Ashley MacCalla (Middleton, New York) was elite last weekend in New Orleans and its carrying over to her performance at U17 Trials. In this setting her speed and tenacity shows up and impacts game play. She can pick up any player the length of the floor and be disruptive and her speed in transition guarantees easy buckets. It feels like this team is going to need to generate offense with defense, which would make her a great addition to the roster. Pair her with Reckley and the opposing backcourt will be pushed to their limits.
Early Observations
Harper Dunn goes to her jump hook on Saturday morning at U17 Trials. *Photo by Chris Hansen.
Caroline Bradley (Oak Grove, Louisiana) continues to play the post at an incredibly high level. A pairing of Bradley at the ‘Five’ and Eve Long at the “Four” seems formidable. There were other frontcourt players that had moments, like the patient jump stop, contact lift, forward pivot to the outside for a jump hook from Harper Dunn (Albuquerque, New Mexico) that has the referees even raising their eyebrows. Rosie Oladokun(Rancho Cucamonga, California) is using her quickness and length to find extra possessions. Sutton Villa looks way more agile than last summer and it allowed her to play elite defense, even out on the perimeter. Reece Gilpatrick (Broomfield, Colorado) is a swiss army knife in the frontcourt. Celsy Columbo (Arcade, New York) used her mobility and range in the trail spot well.
Tatianna Griffin with a floater on Saturday.
*Photo by Chris Hansen.Tatianna Griffin (Chino, California) is playing with such poise and control so far this weekend. She’s picking her spots and when she does that it’s almost impossible to stop her from getting a bucket.
I’m interested in where Ari Peterson (Chanhassan, Minnesota) takes her game. The 6-0 swing player showed flashes of being a matchup problem in a talent pool that gives you no breaks. Her size and fluid athleticism give her a lot of options.
Jhaliana Guy (Clinton, Iowa) completed the really difficult task of going from a score-first player in club season to a dependable facilitator and point guard option early in these trials. She showed poise and the ability to use pivots, pass fakes and angles to get the ball where it needed to be.
Leah DeWitt (Marietta, Georgia) may not have made the finalists list but it wasn’t from a lack of strong play. She’s a smooth operator who competes on every possession. In an environment where size is the norm, not a premium it was a long shot to advance but she made the decision hard with her play.
Ivanna Wilson Manyacka 
Ivanna Wilson Manyacka elevates.
*Photo by Chris Hansen.(Frederick, Maryland) is elite in every sense of the word. Her range makes her a matchup nightmare because her ability to get by defenders is at the same level as her shooting. She has an efficiency that screams future pro.
Janiyah Hargrave (Kettering, Ohio) showed her powerful downhill style and she did a great job of playing off too feet in traffic.
Chloe Johnson was doing her thing again. With the limited depth at point guard she played several games excelling at the lead spot and also did a great job spacing the floor as a spot shooter.
Micah Ojo (Virginia Beach, Virginia) makes the game look easy. Her ability to play both ends of the floor at nearly every position at a high level continues to impress.
Erin Thomas (Cincinnati, Ohio) is having a break out spring. She’s playing with a new confidence. She shot it well, played well defensively and got into the lane at times.
Nation Williams (Las Vegas, Nevada) showed her basketball IQ and physicality. There’s just something to a player you can trust to make the right play and create extra possession you want on your squad.
Love Lei Best (Oregon City, Oregon) is so crafty, smart and tough. She’s in a gym with bigger, stronger, faster at every turn and still she navigates the gauntlet and makes play after play.
Chris Hansen is managing editor of ProspectsNation.com and serves on the McDonald’s All-American and Naismith Trophy selection committees. He was a co-founder of and the national director of scouting for ESPN HoopGurlz from 2005 until 2012 and is the director of the Check Me Out Showcase and ELITE is EARNED events. He can be reached at chris@chrishansenbasketball.com.
