Arizona State University women's basketball sophomore guard Reili Richardson will attempt to become the second Sun Devil women's basketball player to earn a gold medal since 2015 when the USA Women's U19 World Cup Team takes on Russia in Sunday's championship game of the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup taking place in Cividale del Friuli, Italy.
The USA (6-0) earned the right to play in Sunday's gold-medal game after defeating previously unbeaten Japan (5-1) 73-66 in Saturday's semifinal round. Russia (6-0) defeated Canada (5-1) 65-41 in the other semifinal contest.
Richardson, who is averaging 10.8 minutes per game, has played in all six of the USA's games and has been a steady contributor in helping the squad to its current unbeaten record.
Richardson, a 5-11 guard, is coming off an outstanding freshman campaign in which she set ASU's single-season freshman record for assists (126). A Pac-12 All-Freshman honorable mention honoree, Richardson played in every game (25 starts) last season and led the team in assists (3.8 apg/12th in the Pac-12) and tied for the team lead in free throws made (79), was second in 3-pointers (20) and free throw percentage (82.3/12th in the Pac-12) and third in scoring (8.4 ppg) and steals (1.1 spg). She also finished fifth in the Pac-12 in assist-to-turnover ratio. Richardson, whose 277 points ranked seventh in program history for most points scored by a freshman, scored in double figures 13 times, including a career-high 16 points at eventual national champion South Carolina in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, a game the Sun Devils led going into the final minute.
Richardson is looking to join former Sun Devil Katie Hempen as recent Sun Devil women's basketball players who have won a gold medal. In 2015 it was Hempen and the USA who claimed the gold after defeating Canada (which included former Sun Devil Quinn Dornstauder) in the championship game of the 2015 World University Games in South Korea.
Six-time defending FIBA U19 World Cup gold medalists, the USA has earned a record seven gold medals and one bronze in 11 previous U19 World Cups.
Sunday's gold medal game between the USA and Russia will be shown live on ESPN3 (noon PT).