USA Basketball has selected its 3x3 teams for Buenos Aires 2018, where the women will be defending the title they won in Nanjing four years ago ©FIBA

USA Basketball has selected the winning teams its Under-18 National Championships to represent it at this year's Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. 

The women's team will be Aliyah Boston, Samantha Brunelle, Paige Bueckers and Hailey Van Lith.

The men's team will be Dudley Blackwell, Jyare Davis, Patrick McCaffery and Carson McCorkle.

The 2018 USA 3x3 U18 National Championships were held last month at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and served as trials for Buenos Aires 2018, due to take place between October 6 and 18. 

Team Quest women won the tournament title with a 7-0 record, while the Team Quest men earned vitory with an 8-0 mark. 

Van Lith was voted women’s MVP honors and McCaffery named the men’s tournament MVP.

Aliyah Boston, Samantha Brunelle, Paige Bueckers, Hailey Van Lith, Dudley Blackwell, Jyare Davis, Patrick McCaffery and Carson McCorkle will represent the USA in 3x3 basketball at Buenos Aires 2018 ©USA Basketball
Aliyah Boston, Samantha Brunelle, Paige Bueckers, Hailey Van Lith, Dudley Blackwell, Jyare Davis, Patrick McCaffery and Carson McCorkle will represent the USA in 3x3 basketball at Buenos Aires 2018 ©USA Basketball

Three of four athletes on the women’s team and all four on the men’s team have participated in at least one previous USA Basketball camp.

Brunelle was a member of the US team that won the silver medals in the 2016 International Basketball Federation Under-17 Women’s Basketball World Cup in Spain. 

Blackwell and Davis are two-time USA Basketball junior national team minicamp participants and also took part in the 2017 USA under-16 national team camp in June.

McCaffery was selected by USA Basketball to participate in the 2018 National Collegiate Athletic Association Next Generation event last month and McCorkle participated in the 2016 USA junior national team minicamp in October.

The US 3x3 women's team celebrate their gold medal in the Summer Youth Olympic Games at Nanjing 2014 ©FIBA
The US 3x3 women's team celebrate their gold medal in the Summer Youth Olympic Games at Nanjing 2014 ©FIBA

Although 3x3 has its origins in America, the US men has so far failed to win a medal in the sport's two appearances in the Summer Youth Olympic Games.

They finished fourth on their only appearance at Singapore 2010 when Serbia won the gold medal. 

At Nanjing four years ago Lithuania won the gold medal as the US missed the tournament.

The women have been more successful, winning a bronze at Singapore 2010 and then the gold at Nanjing 2014 when they beat The Netherlands 19-10 in the final.

The appearance of 3x3 at Buenos Aires 2018 will have added significance this year as the sport is due to make its debut on the full Olympic programme at Tokyo 2020.