TCU freshman earns gold, silver with USA Basketball
Amber Ramirez, incoming freshman and one of the newest members of the TCU women’s basketball team, doesn’t hesitate for a second when asked what she hopes to bring to the Horned Frogs in her first season at TCU.
“Leadership,” Ramirez said. “Leadership and my ability to shoot and score. I’m always talking, making sure everybody’s good, everybody’s getting their shots.”
In a vacuum, that response might raise an eyebrow or two, coming from an 18-year-old only just getting acquainted with a new city, college life, not to mention the tremendous step up in competition from high school to Big 12 college basketball. But Ramirez is not the average freshman.
Already the second-highest rated recruit in program history and a McDonald’s All-American, Ramirez added a gold and a silver medal to her war chest this summer after playing in two international Under 18 tournaments with USA Basketball.
I’m honored and blessed to have a gold medal playing for my country.
TCU freshamn Amber Ramirez
In June, Ramirez was part of the silver medal team at the FIBA 3-on-3 U18 World Championships in Kazakhstan, losing the gold-medal game to France. More recently, the San Antonio native returned from Chile with gold around her neck after Team USA dominated the FIBA Americas U18 Women’s Championships.
The United States beat Canada in the gold-medal game 109-62. Ramirez was one of six Americans in double figures, with 10 points on 2 of 5 from 3-point range.
“I’m honored and blessed to have a gold medal playing for my country,” Ramirez said. “I’m not going to down anybody, but it wasn’t as hard as I expected. But it was fun and a great experience.”
Mansfield Timberview senior Chennedy Carter and Baylor freshman Lauren Cox, of Flower Mound, were also on the FIBA Americas team.
Ramirez said the trip to Kazakhstan was her first trip overseas, but if she continues to develop as a college point guard, this likely won’t be the last time USA Basketball exports her skills abroad.
The international experience gives Ramirez licence to dream even bigger, as the U.S. Women’s National Team prepares for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
“Of course, it’s always been a goal to play on the Olympic team,” Ramirez said. “It’s a goal and a dream of mine.”
There is never such a thing as too much confidence when you back it up with hard work. She deserves the confidence she has, and that type of confidence is contagious.
TCU coach Raegan Pebley on incoming freshman Amber Ramirez
Both TCU coach Raegan Pebley and her freshman point guard know, though, that big dreams require big work, and as long as the work is being done enthusiastically, confidence in one’s own ability to realize those dreams is a positive, not a negative.
“I love coaching women who are confident in who they are,” Pebley said. “There is never such a thing as too much confidence when you back it up with hard work. She deserves the confidence she has, and that type of confidence is contagious.”
Her swagger is mellow; Ramirez comes off calm and very cool (her nickname in high school was Sauce). And it’s being embraced in the earliest days of her TCU career.
Tuesday was the Horned Frogs’ final summer on-court workout before Pebley left on recruiting trips. Now is the time for setting 5 a.m. alarms, for 6 a.m. conditioning and for hitting the weight room after that.
Because Ramirez and her TCU teammates know that ‘swag’ only means something if it comes with results. After getting her first taste of international success, the most heralded recruit in the Frogs’ 2016 class is hungry to make as big of a splash wearing purple as she did in red, white and blue.
Matthew Martinez: 817-390-7760, @MCTinez817
This story was originally published July 30, 2016 at 5:30 PM with the headline "TCU freshman earns gold, silver with USA Basketball."