SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Drury Lady Panthers head coach Kaci Bailey was selected to serve as head coach for a U.S. National Team to compete this summer in Brazil. The national team, comprised of NCAA-II players, will feature three current members of the Lady Panthers: forward Sara Mendel, guard Rhi Gibbons, and guard Kaylee King. In addition, Drury assistant coach Destiny Smith will serve on the coaching staff.
Organized by USA Sports Tours and Events, Bailey and her team will leave the United States on July 21 and compete in four games before returning on July 29. The team will play two games in São Paulo, Brazil, the second-largest city in the Western Hemisphere, and two games in Rio de Janeiro, and they will be taking on First and Second Division professional teams in addition to Under-22 club teams.
"I am very honored and excited to lead the D2 national team in Brazil," said Bailey. "This will be a great experience for all these phenomenal young women. We can't wait to represent the USA!"
The U.S. squad will arrive in Campinas and visit Jundiai before arriving and playing in São Paulo.
Kaci Bailey will enter her third year as head coach of the Lady Panthers in 2025-26 and has compiled a 47-14 record in two seasons. Mendel, a 6'2" forward from Ava, Missouri, averaged 8.2 points and 8.1 rebounds as a sophomore for Drury last year. Gibbons, a product of Nixa, was Drury's second-leading scorer, averaging 14 points as a sophomore. King completed her freshman season for the Lady Panthers last year, and the Ellington, Missouri, native averaged six points per game in addition to posting a 13.5 scoring average in two postseason games.
The rest of the Team USA roster includes Sam Basson (Henderson St.), Patricia Chikamba (Indianapolis), Ryan Franklin (Missouri Southern/Tampa), Norah Gum (Missouri S&T), Olivia Lee (Union), Ivey Schmidt (Western Colorado). In addition to Smith, Bailey's coaching staff is comprised of Henderson State assistant Jill Thomas and Missouri Western head coach Brooks McKowen.
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