Niele Ivey Secures Gold as USA Basketball Wins FIBA U18 Women's AmeriCup

Notre Dame women's basketball coach Niele Ivey has added yet another prestigious achievement to her impressive resume—a gold medal from the FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup. This victory marks a significant period for Ivey, who recently guided the Fighting Irish to their first NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearance since 2019 before taking the helm of Team USA.

Under Ivey's leadership, the U18 squad delivered a remarkable performance in Irapuato, Mexico, concluding the tournament with an undefeated record of 5-0. The team dominated their opponents, amassing an astounding point differential of 291 by scoring 555 points while allowing just 264. In the championship game, USA triumphed over Canada with a final score of 90-72, continuing a streak of six consecutive gold medal matches between the two nations.

The team's journey began on June 9 with an overwhelming 113-47 victory against Argentina, followed by a 125-53 win over Mexico the next day. They maintained their momentum with a 123-41 victory against Paraguay and a 104-51 win over Venezuela in the semifinals.

Notably, Notre Dame has extended offers to five players from the U18 roster who remain uncommitted, including top recruits like Kaleena Smith and Jezelle “GG” Banks. In the final game, Smith shone as the top scorer with 26 points, while Jordyn Palmer and Banks contributed 24 and 14 points, respectively. Ivey's coaching staff also included Charmin Smith, the head coach at California, a fellow ACC rival.

Interestingly, Ivey faced off against Isabella Sangha, a Class of 2026 recruit committed to Notre Dame, who played for Team Canada and averaged 3.8 points and 3.5 rebounds during the tournament. Prior to her role as head coach, Ivey served as an assistant on previous U18 and U19 teams under Indiana's Teri Moren, where she also earned gold medals.

Reflecting on her appointment as head coach in February, Ivey described the opportunity as “one of her dreams,” a goal she once thought might be out of reach. Now, having fulfilled that dream, she returns to South Bend as the Irish begin their summer training sessions, looking ahead to their regular season opener against Villanova on November 1 in Rome, Italy.