Wheelchair Basketball

The USA Wheelchair Basketball Women’s National Team is highlighted by 12 athletes with extensive USA Wheelchair Basketball experience including Natalie Schneider, who will be making a fifth Paralympic appearance and 11 athletes who have already earned at least one Paralympic medal.

In addition to Schneider, the 2024 USA Women’s National Team includes: Josie Aslakson, Abby Bauleke, Kaitlyn Eaton, Ixhelt Gonzalez, Rose Hollermann, Alejandra Ibanez, Bailey Moody, Becca Murray, Emily Oberst, Courtney Ryan and Lindsey Zurbrugg. The squad has a combined 15 medals, including seven Paralympic gold medals.

Aslakson, Bauleke, Eaton, Gonzalez, Hollermann, Ibanez, Moody, Ryan, Schneider and Zurbrugg all return to the 2024 squad after earning a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. All 12 members were a part of the 2023 USA Women’s National, which captured gold at the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games, winning the country’s first gold at the tournament since 2015. The Parapan Am title also qualified Team USA for the Paris Games.

USA Women’s National Team head coach Christina Schwab will be assisted by Ryan Hynes and Desi Miller. The coaching staff, who led the USA to a gold medal at the Parapan American Games and a bronze at the IWBF World Championship, was selected by the NWBA High Performance Selection Committee. Schwab and Miller were each a part of Team USA on the court, as Schwab captured a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing and 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, while Miller joined the court with Schwab for gold in 2016.

The USA women are looking to return to the podium for a third consecutive Games, in addition to seeking a fifth Paralympic gold medal.

The American women open group play against Germany on August 30 (8:00 a.m. MT), followed by the Netherlands on Aug. 31 (at 10:15 a.m. MT) and Japan on Sept. 2 (5:45 a.m. MT).

• Natalie Schneider is set to make her fifth Paralympic Games appearance. Perhaps the most decorated member on the roster, Schneider has been a member of Team USA since winning her first gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games. She went on to earn another gold medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games and a bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. Most recently, Natalie helped the U.S. Women’s National Team win a gold medal at the 2023 Parapan American Games.  
• Becca Murray is set to make her fourth Paralympic Games appearance. Murray is a three-time Paralympian, having been a member of the 2008 and 2016 Paralympic Games squads that took gold in Beijing and Rio, respectively. Murray is a three-time gold medalist at the Parapan American Games (2007, 2011 and 2023) and a two-time medalist at World Championships (2010 gold, 2022 bronze).  
• Rose Hollermann joins Schneider and Murray on the final roster, making her third Paralympic Games. Hollermann played on the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Paralympic Games teams, winning gold at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games and bronze at the most recent 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. Hollermann helped Team USA win gold at the 2023 Parapan American Games and bronze at the 2022 IWBF World Championships, landing a spot on the IWBF All-Star Team.  
• Ixhelt Gonzalez is set to make her second Paralympic Games appearance after helping Team USA win gold at the 2023 Parapan American Games. Gonzalez was also a part of the U.S. Junior National Team that claimed gold at the 2023 IWBF Women’s U25 World Championship. In addition, Gonzalez claimed bronze at the 2022 IWBF World Championship and silver at the 2022 IWBF Americas Cup in Brazil. Gonzalez was a member of the bronze medal-winning team from the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.

The USA Wheelchair Basketball Women’s National Team is highlighted by 12 athletes with extensive USA Wheelchair Basketball experience including Steve Serio, who will be making a fifth Paralympic appearance and seven athletes who have already earned at least one Paralympic medal.

In addition to Serio, the 2024 USA Women’s National Team includes: Jake Williams, Talen Jourdan, Brian Bell, Paul Schulte, Nate Hinze, Trevon Jenifer, AJ Fitzpatrick, Jorge Salazar, Fabian Romo, John Boie and Jeromie Meyer.

Serio, Williams, Bell, Schulte, Hinze, Jenifer and Boie all return to the 2024 squad after earning a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. Serio, Williams, Bell and Jenifer were also a part of the 2016 Men’s National Team that earned gold at the Rio Paralympic Games. 10 members on the final roster were a part of the 2023 USA Men’s National, which captured gold at the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games. The title also qualified USA for the Paris Games.

USA Men’s National Team head coach Christina Schwab will be assisted by Michael Paye and Scott Meyer. The coaching staff, who led the USA to a gold medal at the Parapan American Games and a gold at the IWBF World Championship. Paye served as a co-captain for the U.S. Men’s National Team from 2003-2010 and 2013-2021. Paye won a gold medal at both the 2016 Rio Paralympics and 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. He was also a member of U.S. Men’s National Team for the 2004 Athens Paralympics and 2008 Beijing Paralympics.

The USA men are looking to make history, becoming the first country in the sport to win three consecutive men’s Paralympic gold medals. A gold medal would be the National Team’s 10th all-time.

The American men open group play against Spain on August 29 (8:00 a.m. MT), followed by the Netherlands on Aug. 31 (at 8:00 a.m. MT) and Australia on Sept. 1 (2:30 a.m. MT).

• Steve Serio will make his fifth Paralympic Games roster after helping the U.S. Men’s National Team win a gold medal at the 2023 Santiago Parapan American Games, leading the squad in assists per game (9.0). One of the most recognizable players in the sport, Serio brings a cache like no other, with a robust trophy case that features three Paralympic medals (2012 bronze, 2016 gold, 2020 gold) and an ESPY Award for Best Male Athlete with a Disability in 2017. Serio is a four-time gold medalist at the Paralympic Games (2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023) and a five-time medalist at Worlds (2022 gold, 2018 silver, 2014 silver, 2010 bronze, 2006 silver).  
• Brian Bell joins Serio on the final U.S. Men’s National Team roster after winning gold at the 2023 Parapan American Games, where he was the team’s leading rebounder with 11.8 boards per contest. Bell’s resume speaks for itself, having been a member of the last two U.S. Men’s teams that won gold medals at the Paralympics (2020 and 2016). In addition to his Paralympic accolades, Bell is a three-time gold medalist at Parapans (2015, 2019 and 2023) and a three-time medalist at Worlds (2022 gold, 2018 silver, 2014 silver).
• Trevon Jenifer will make his fourth Paralympic Games appearance on the heels of claiming gold at the 2023 Parapan American Games. Jenifer’s trophy case also includes three Paralympic medals (2012 bronze, 2016 gold, 2020 gold), four Parapan Games gold medals (2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023) and three Worlds medals (2022 gold, 2018 silver, 2014 silver).
• Paul Schulte rejoins Team USA on the Paralympic stage. One of the most decorated athletes in the sport, Schulte is a two-time Paralympic medalist, securing bronze at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games and the London 2012 Paralympic Games. He is a four-time Medalist at Worlds (1998 gold, 2002 gold, 2006 silver and 2010 bronze) and was a contributing member of the U23 World Championship rosters that earned silver in 1997 and bronze in 2001. A 2022 NWBA Hall of Fame inductee, Schulte was a University of Texas Arlington student-athlete, leading the program to a NWBA National Championship in 2002. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, which he utilized as a designer of performance basketball wheelchairs for TopEnd Wheelchairs. 
• Jake Williams joins the Team USA final roster after winning a gold medal at the 2023 Parapan American Games, averaging a team-best 16.0 points per game. Williams is a two-time Paralympic medalist, claiming gold at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and 2016 Rio Paralympics. In addition, he captured a gold medal at the 2022 World Championships. Williams, a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Alum, returned to his alma mater to serve as head coach in 2022. This season, he led the program to its first NWBA Men’s Intercollegiate National Championship since 2016. 

For inquiries: Matt Torres – communications @nwba.org