Phelia Helps USA Basketball to Silver at AmeriCup
7/10/2023 10:21:00 AM | Women's Basketball
LEON, Mexico -- Laila Phelia of the University of Michigan women's basketball team helped USA Basketball secure the silver medal at the 2023 AmeriCup on Sunday night (July 9) at Domo de la Feria. It marked Phelia's first stint with USA Basketball.
The Red, White and Blue fell to Brazil for the second time in the tournament in the final game, dropping a 69-58 decision after Brazil outscored the Americans 34-21 in the second half. The U.S. finished with a 5-2 record at the event as its only losses came to Brazil. The United States eliminated Colombia and Canada in the knockout rounds before facing Brazil in the gold medal game.
Phelia started the final four games for the U.S., including all three games in the knockout stage. She averaged 3.4 points, three rebounds and 1.1 steals in 20.9 minutes per game, while her impact was not always with traditional statistics. Phelia played the fourth-most minutes on the team and held the second-best plus/minus average at +9.6. Phelia had perhaps her most impactful game in a 65-56 win over Argentina in the group stage (July 2), scoring two points but holding a +25 during her 18 minutes.
The U.S. team was comprised of 12 college players representing their country at a senior-level event for the first time, making it the youngest at the event.
It was the second straight AmeriCup that featured a Wolverine, as Naz Hillmon helped the Red, White and Blue to a gold medal at the 2021 edition.
Phelia is coming off a stellar sophomore campaign, earning All-Big Ten second-team honors after missing the month of February with an injury. Phelia appeared in 26 games, starting 24 times en route to averaging 16.7 points and 4.2 rebounds in 33.1 minutes per game. She scored in double figures 23 times and topped the 20-point mark 11 times. She was named to the all-tournament team at the Gulf Coast Showcase and to the Big Ten Honor Roll one time. Phelia upped her scoring from 8.8 points per game in her first season to 16.7 points per game this season, also more than doubling her three-pointers from 15 to 35.
