South Carolina women’s basketball: Ayla McDowell will play for Brazil in the South American Qualifier
South Carolina sophomore guard Ayla McDowell has been named to the Brazilian senior national team and will compete in the South American Qualifier tournament next week.
McDowell was one of 20 players named to the preliminary roster. She joined them for a training camp on Monday, July 27. Although McDowell was born in the United States, she competes internationally for Brazil. Her mother was born in Brazil, making her eligible to compete there.
Previously, McDowell has competed in the 2024 U18 AmeriCup, the 2025 U19 World Cup, and the 2025 AmeriCup. At the 2025 AmeriCup, she was a member of the senior national team and played alongside former Gamecock Kamilla Cardoso. Due to her WNBA commitments, Cardoso is not part of the player pool for the Qualifier.
McDowell averaged 14.8 points and 7.7 rebounds at the U18 AmeriCup and was named to the All-Star Five (future teammate Joyce Edwards was the MVP). At the U19 World Cup, she averaged 16.8 points and 4.5 rebounds. As one of the youngest players on the team, McDowell only averaged 2.3 points and 1.5 rebounds at the AmeriCup.
It has been a busy summer for Gamecocks and their national teams.
Junior Joyce Edwards played for the USA Basketball 3X3 senior national team this summer. She played in two tournaments in May and won a gold medal at the 3X3 World Cup in June.
Like McDowell, fellow sophomores Agot Makeer and Alicia Tournebize are part of their respective senior national team player pools. Makeer participated in the Canadian senior national team camp from June 20-28 in Montreal. She did not return for the second training camp in late July.
Tournebize has been invited to France’s World Cup training camp, which begins August 19 in Paris. If she makes the national team, she would play in the World Cup in Berlin in September (Canada and Brazil are not in this year’s World Cup).
The South American Qualifier is for seven countries in South America that have not qualified for the 2027 AmeriCup Tournament. The top four finishers qualify for the 2027 AmeriCup, which is the qualifying tournament for the 2028 Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.
The group draw for the South American Qualifier was held on July 14. Brazil, Chile, and Venezuela are in Group B. Group A consists of Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina.
Tournament Schedule
Monday, August 3 – Brazil vs Chile (1:00 PM EDT)
Tuesday, August 4 – Brazil is off
Wednesday, August 5 – Rest Day
Thursday, August 6 – Brazil vs Venezuela (1:00 PM EDT)
Friday, August 7 – Quarterfinals
Saturday, August 8 – Semifinals
Sunday, August 9 – Medal Round (Third place game: 4:30 PM EDT; Title Game: 8:00 PM EDT)
All games will be streamed on the FIBA YouTube channel.
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