Gwinnett Daily Post

File Photo North Gwinnett's Lexie Brown (4) reaches for the ball while defending against Hillgrove's Tiffani Schick (34) during the first quarter of a girls Class AAAAA state basketball semifinal game.

COLORADO SPRINGS — North Gwinnett guard Lexie Brown got her first USA Basketball National Team nod Monday when she was named to the Under-18 National Team.

Following five trials sessions this week at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, the 12-player national team was selected by the USA Basketball Junior National Team Committee.

The team will regroup at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla., for its first training camp from May 28-June 1. The USA squad will then return to the USOTC for its final training camp Aug. 4-12, prior to traveling to Puerto Rico for the 2012 FIBA Americas U18 Championship.

The 12-member squad includes 2011 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year Breanna Stewart (Cicero-North H.S. / North Syracuse, N.Y.) and previous USA gold medalists Bashaara Graves (Clarksville H.S. / Clarksville, Tenn.); Imani Stafford (Winward School / Los Angeles, Calif.); Morgan Tuck (Bolingbrook H.S./ Bolingbrook, Ill.); and Jannah Tucker (New Town H.S. / Randallstown, Md.). The team also features three-time trials participant Moriah Jefferson (Texas Home Educators Sports Association / Glenn Heights, Texas); two-time trials participant Alexis Prince (Edgewater / Orlando, Fla.); 2010 USA U16 National Team trials participants Kendall Cooper (St. Anthony H.S. / Carson, Calif.) and Allisha Gray (Washington County H.S / Sandersville, Ga.); and USA Basketball newcomers Brown (North Gwinnett H.S. / Suwanee, Ga.); Michaela Mabrey (Manasquan H.S. / Belmar, N.J.) and Brittney Sykes (University H.S. / Newark, N.J.).

Three USA U18 team members, Cooper, Gray and Tucker, were added to the U18 trials roster on Sunday morning after beginning the weekend competing in the USA Women's U17 World Championship Team Trials.

Collegiate head coaches Nikki Caldwell of Louisiana State University and Kelly Graves of Gonzaga University will act as assistant coaches for the U18 team.