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Former Iowa preps help USA to AmeriCup gold medal

It was a gold-medal performance for the United States women at the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup, with a pair of former Iowa high school basketball standouts part of the roster.

Hannah Stuelke and Audi Crooks both took part in the final game from Santiago, Chile, as the U.S. topped defending champion Brazil, 92-84.

Stuelke, a graduate of Cedar Rapids Washington who was the Iowa Gatorade Girls Basketball Player of the Year, played just over 22 minutes in the championship game. She was a perfect 2-for-2 from the field and made 3 of 4 free throws, scoring seven points to go along with seven rebounds, two steals, a blocked shot and an assist.

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An Iowa Hawkeye, Stuelke scored her most points in the quarterfinals vs. the Dominican Republic with 10, adding eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks. She played at least 12 minutes in all seven games, finishing with 117 minutes played, 41 points, 33 rebounds, nine steals, five assists and four blocked shots.

Crooks, who led Bishop Garrigan to back-to-back state championships, played in just over five minutes, scoring four points while going 1-for-1 from the field and 2 of 2 at the charity stripe. She had one offensive rebound.

The current Iowa State standout had her best game of the tournament in the quarterfinals vs. the Dominican Republic. Crooks played 15 minutes and scored five points with two steals and a rebound. For the tourney, she played 47 minutes and scored 23 points with 11 rebounds, three steals and three assists.

Both the U.S. and Brazil went 6-0 through the tournament to reach the finals. The championship game was a rematch of the 2023 finale that Brazil captured in Leon, Mexico.

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The United States previously knocked off Brazil in the semifinals in 2021, as the Brazilian team won both meetings two years ago.