BUFFALO, N.Y. — From the high school court to an international stage, Madison Francis can bring her game anywhere.
"I just got sent an invitation and then so I knew, 'yeah, I'm not going to let it go to waste,'" Francis said. "I went and got to know the girls and played my best and it kind of just worked out in my favor.
Francis, after just finishing up her junior year at Lancaster, is now headed for Bucaramanga, Columbia, where she will represent the United States of America with the USA Basketball Women's U18 National Team.
"It means the world because I know all the trailblazers like Diana Taurasi, A'ja Wilson, they all set a tone for USA basketball and especially women's basketball in general," Francis said. "It's good to lead in their footprints and make a statement for myself."
The Lancaster girls basketball star was one of 12 players from a pool of 26 athletes to be selected to compete in the FIBA U18 Women's AmeriCup in mid-June.
"We all celebrated, we jumped up and down, you know, hugged each other," Francis recalled. "It was a great experience overall and I was so glad I got the opportunity, you know, got invited to it. I'm just soaking it all in still."
Now soaking in a dream, the 6-foot-2 forward and 5-star recruit according to ESPN, still had to try twice to achieve.
"Last year I got invited to 3-on-3 USA Basketball," Francis said. "Unfortunately, I didn't make that one but I knew I did want to make a USA team, so I kind of just worked hard all this year and I got invited this year and I made the team."
Francis and her U18 team are in Colorado Springs this week at training camp before heading off to Columbia on Thursday ahead of the start of the tournament next week.
The FIBA U18 Women's AmeriCup begins on June 17 and runs through June 23.