Team USA will have a bit of Aloha State flavor at the FISU America Games.
Chanelle Molina — a Konawaena grad and current Washington State junior — will take her talents to the international stage for the inaugural edition of the FISU America Games.
The event is sanctioned by the International University Sports Federation and will be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, July 20-29. Nearly 1,000 student-athletes from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, United States, and Uruguay will compete in 13 sports.
In total, the U.S. will be sending 96 student-athletes and a total delegation of 138 Americans that will represent men’s and women’s track and field, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s soccer, judo, and men’s and women’s volleyball.
Molina, an All-Pac-12 Freshman selection in 2016-17 and the Cougars’ third-leading scorer as a sophomore, joins an elite roster of collegiate players from around the country including teaming up with Pac-12 standouts Kat Tudor (Oregon State) and Kiara Russell (Arizona State). The 10-woman roster will be coached by Jane Albright who recently retired from coaching at Nevada after an illustrious 33-year career.
Throughout the week of games the USA will take on international squads from Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, and Mexico. Team USA opens its tournament against Mexico on July 24 before taking on the other three South American nations. The winner will be determined by the best overall record from the week of games.
Last season, Molina — one of the most decorated athletes in BIIF history who has earned a reputation as one of the best point guards in the Pac-12 — returned from a knee injury to play in all 30 games for the Cougars. She averaged 7.7 points per game while posting a team-best 87 assists. This year she will be joined by her sisters Celena Molina, who’s entering her second year with the Cougars after redshirting her freshman season, and Cherilyn Molina, who will be a freshman this season.
All four games for Team USA will be streamed live online on Facebook courtesy of CBDU.brasil.