Lauren Ware scores 7 points as USA wins U19 World Cup gold medal

Arizona sophomore Lauren Ware contributed seven points and five rebounds off the bench as Team USA defeated Australia to win the gold medal match of the FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in Debrecen, Hungary.

Ware played a tournament-high 19 minutes Sunday and connected on three of four field goal attempts. The Bismarck, N.D. native also recorded a blocked shot.

Ware averaged 6.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and one block over seven games in Hungary. At 6-foot-5, Ware outsized most of her international opponents.

Ware was one of three active or future Pac-12 players to compete for the U.S. which is led by UCLA head coach Cori Close. Oregon point guard Te-Hina Paopao had 10 points and five assists in the gold medal winning game, while Stanford class of 2022 commit Lauren Betts tallied nine points and 14 rebounds as the U.S. starting center.

Unlike most of her teammates, this was Ware’s first event donning a U.S. uniform. Six Americans had already won at least one gold medal in international competition.

The U.S. has now won nine of the last 14 U19 World Cup championships.