Lauren Ware put together an impressive freshman season at Arizona, and she is beginning here sophomore year with an important honor. The UA forward will be one of 12 players representing the United States in next month's FIBA U19 World Cup in Hungary. The event will run from Aug. 7-15 with the USA squad set to open up Group A play against Italy.

Ware improved throughout the season and became a key contributor on the Wildcats' team that reached the championship game in last season's NCAA Tournament in San Antonio.

The North Dakota native averaged 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds in 27 games for head coach Adia Barnes. She was second on the team with 30 blocks to go with 12 steals.

Ware had two double doubles during her first college season with both coming in the first half of the year.

She scored 12 points and grabbed 12 rebounds against USC in just the third game of the season before scoring 10 points, pulling down 10 rebounds and blocking three shots in a win over Idaho late in December.

The 6-foot-5 forward will again be a key piece for the Wildcats this season as she settles into her college career.

Ware is one of just two Pac-12 players to make the USA U19 squad for next month's event joining Oregon guard Te-Hina Paopao on the team. The Arizona sophomore was one of three players announced Monday with the other nine members of the team already announced earlier in the year.

The group will now train in Washington D.C. for the next week before making its way to Hungary ahead of the event. UCLA coach Cori Close is leading the USA squad as head coach for the tournament.

“It’s one thing in trials to try and start to get a sense of the team, but I’m excited for training camp because this is the group, this is the group that is going to compete for a gold medal and I’m just excited to get that process started,” Close said in a statement provided by USA Basketball.

Australia and Egypt are the two other teams alongside the US and Italy in Group A. Bracket play will begin Aug. 11 with the championship game taking place Aug. 15.

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