Ohio State Buckeyes: Centerville grad makes USA Basketball squad

Centerville's Cotie McMahon celebrates the Elks' 66-64 victory at Wayne on Thursday night that gave the Elks a share of the GWOC title with Wayne and Springboro and broke a three-game losing streak against the Warriors. Jeff Gilbert/CONTRIBUTED

Centerville's Cotie McMahon celebrates the Elks' 66-64 victory at Wayne on Thursday night that gave the Elks a share of the GWOC title with Wayne and Springboro and broke a three-game losing streak against the Warriors. Jeff Gilbert/CONTRIBUTED

Centerville grad Cotie McMahon will make her USA Basketball debut next week.

The 5-11 guard will compete with the Women’s U-18 National Team in the FIBA Americas Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from June 13-19.

McMahon made the team after four days of trials in Colorado Springs, Col.

She was an All-GWOC guard in 2020-21 when she led the league in field percentage (56.6) and finished second in scoring (20.2 points per game) and fifth in assists (3.4).

A four-star, top 25 national recruit, McMahon graduated early last fall and enrolled at Ohio State, but she was not on the active roster last season.

She is one of two Ohioans on the U-18 roster, joining Oregon signee Grace VanSlooten of Ottawa Hills.

Since the U-18 Women’s Americas Championship was established in 1988, the United States has won 109 gold medals, including the last nine in a row.

The US opens play Monday against Columbia and will also play Puerto Rico and El Salvador in group play. Tournament play begins June 17.

Ohio State women’s basketball has had many players involved with USA Basketball, most recently when Kelsey Mitchell and Linnnae Harper were part of the U-24 team in 2017.

The last Buckeye on the U-18 team was point guard Samantha Prahalis in 2008.

About the Author