The 2025 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup kicks off this weekend, and the South Carolina women’s basketball program will be well-represented. Dawn Staley’s team has three representatives playing in the tournament — two current Gamecocks and one former player. Joyce Edwards is be playing for Team USA, while incoming Gamecock Ayla McDowell will be team up with Kamilla Cardoso on Team Brazil.
About the AmeriCup The AmeriCup is played between national teams from the Americas (which includes North America, Central America, the Caribbean and South America). The first tournament was held in 1989, and it’s taken place every two years since 1993. This year’s tournament will be held in Santiago, Chile in the Centro de Deportes Colectivos from June 28 to July 6. It’s the second time Chile has hosted the event. Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States are the 10 teams that qualified for the tournament this year.
The teams will break up into two groups for pool play. Group A includes Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic and El Salvador. Group B is made up of Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States. The top four teams in each group will advance to the quarterfinals, which start Friday, July 4. Cardoso and Team Brazil are the defending champions after beating Team USA in the 2023 tournament hosted in Mexico. Team USA’s last championship win came when the Americans won back-to-back AmeriCups in 2021 and 2019.
About the Gamecocks Cardoso is taking a break from dominating in the WNBA to play in the AmeriCup. The Chicago Sky’s star forward averages 12.7 points and 6.6 rebounds through 14 games this season. On Tuesday night she recorded a career-high 27 points against the Los Angeles Sparks. Cardoso is looking for her third medal in the AmeriCup, and her second gold.
Edwards is coming off an impressive freshman campaign for Staley and the Gamecocks. She led the team with 12.7 points per game and was named to the All-SEC First Team. Edwards is looking for her third gold medal, her last two came in the 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup and the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup. McDowell is still a few months from taking the court at Colonial Life Arena as a Gamecock but comes in with an impressive resume. She earned McDonald’s All-American honors after a strong senior season at Cypress Springs High. McDowell is no stranger to international competition. She’s even played for Team Brazil against WNBA teams in May.
Since Team USA and Team Brazil won’t face each other in the group stage, the earliest the Gamecocks could face one another is in the quarterfinals.
