Blue Demons Invited to 3x3 National Championships
Campbell, Stonewall, Held, Morris compete Friday in USA Basketball three-on-three event
CHICAGO –
Kelly Campbell,
Chante Stonewall,
Lexi Held and
Sonya Morris are headed to Las Vegas hoping to cash in on a basketball jackpot.
They will represent DePaul in the 2019 USA Basketball 3x3 National Championships Friday and Saturday at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center.
The tournament will feature up to 16 men's teams and 18 women's teams competing for their respective 3x3 national title.
The event will also serve as the 2019 USA Basketball Men's and Women's 3x3 National Team trials. All competing athletes will be in consideration for selection to the 2019 USA Men's 3x3 World Cup team and the men's and women's 2019 U.S. Pan American Games 3x3 teams.
This is the first step in USA Basketball's quest to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The USA 3x3 Nationals will tip-off with preliminary games from 3-10:30 p.m. (all times listed are local, PDT) on Friday, May 3. The preliminary round will continue from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on May 4, and, after teams are seeded based on preliminary records, the knockout round will begin Saturday at 6 p.m. The women's championship game, which will be streamed live online at usab.com/live, is set to tip at 10 p.m. (PDT).
USA Basketball invited select NCAA Division I women's programs to enter a team into the tournament. Included in this year's competition are representatives from Arizona State, Connecticut, DePaul, Iowa State, Louisville, Maryland, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Mississippi State, North Carolina State, defending USA 3x3 National Championship gold medalist Oregon, Stanford and Texas.
Arizona State: Jamie Loera, Reili Richardson, Robbi Ryan, Jayde Vanhyfte.
Connecticut: Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Megan Walker, Christyn Williams, Sydni Harvey of USF.
DePaul: Kelly Campbell,
Lexi Held Alexa Held,
Sonya Morris,
Chante Stonewall.
Iowa State: Ashley Joens, Alexa Middleton, Kristin Scott, Madison Wise.
Louisville: Bionca Dunham, Jazmine Jones, Seygan Robins, Mykasa Robinson.
Maryland: Shakira Austin; Stephanie Jones; Taylor Mikesell; Blair Watson.
Miami (Fla.): Mykea Gray, Destiny Harden, Kelsey Marshall, Beatrice Mompremier.
Michigan: Amy Dilk, Akienreh Johnson, Kayla Robbins, Ariel Young.
Mississippi State: Jessika Carter, Andra Espinoza-Hunter, Bre'Amber Scott, Myah Taylor.
North Carolina State: Kai Crutchfield, Elissa Cunane, Kaila Ealey, Kayla Jones.
Oregon: Otiona Gildon, Ruthy Hebard, Sabrina Ionescu, Lydia Giomi.
Stanford: Lacie Hull, Lexie Hull, Estella Moschkau, Anna Wilson.
Texas: Charli Collier, Audrey Warren, Joyner Holmes, Sug Sutton.
Three teams advanced through qualifying tournaments.
LA Dream Team: Rebekah Gardner, Jianni Jackson; Desiree Jackson, Brittany Wilson.
Still Ballin': Alyson Chandler, LeAsia Jones, Irene Moore, Gabrielle Wade.
WAC: Jen Bresler, Ashley Graham, Alex Montgomery, Tricia Principe.
In addition, Bella Alarie (Princeton), Janelle Bailey (North Carolina), Aleah Goodman (Oregon State), Rebecca Hittner (Drake), Rhyne Howard (Kentucky), Jordan Lewis (Alabama), Michaela Onyenwere (UCLA) and Destiny Slocum (Oregon State) will be divided into two teams.
Olympic fans will see the launch of a new basketball discipline with the inclusion of 3x3 in 2020. The exciting and fast-paced game had its international debut at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games and has become a fan favorite at FIBA 3x3 World Cup events.
Played on a half court with a 10-minute game clock and a 12-second shot clock, the first team to 21 points or leading at the end of regulation is the winner. The non-stop action of 3x3 will ensure it is one of the hottest tickets in Tokyo, and fans in Las Vegas will get an early taste of that excitement during the USA Basketball 3x3 Nationals.
The men's and women's at the 3x3 national tournament earned their berths through a 3x3 qualifying tournament or an invitation from USA Basketball.
"We found out about the invitation at the beginning of April," Campbell said. "I was very excited because it's a real cool opportunity."
"We've been playing a lot of 3-on-3 on our own since then to get ready," Stonewall said. We play with our teammates and mix up the combinations."
This truncated version of the sport is a fundamental staple of playground games when there's not enough to run five-on-five full court.
"Playing 3x3 seems a lot like AAU ball," Stonewall said.
Campbell added: "I agree totally. It's a wide-open, freelance style of basketball. It's like playground basketball where you try to be king of the court. I played that growing up in New Jersey. You play 3x3 with the winner staying on the court to face the next challenger."
Stonewall had her own fond childhood hoops memory.
"It reminds me of a neighborhood basketball kind of thing," she said. "Growing up in Normal (Ill.), our family had a hoop in the driveway and all the neighborhood kids would come over to play ball. It was like Stonewall Court. I was 10 years old playing ball out there and at times, we had up to 12 kids on the court"
Held annually since 2012, this year marks the eighth edition of the USA Basketball 3x3 National Championships and the first time the nationals will be held outside of Colorado Springs, Colo.
A Chicago team led by former DePaul star Myke Henry (Orr) won the men's national title in 2016 as Henry was named MVP. 3Ball Premier went on to earn the silver medal at the FIBA World Championships in Guangzhou, China.
Current Golden State key reserve Alfonzo McKinnie (Curie and Marshall), DeAndre Liggins (Washington) who played on seven NBA teams and Stefhon Hannah (Hyde Park) who starred at Missouri were Henry's teammates.
"This is a giant step for the USA Basketball 3x3 program," said USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley. "The level of competition at the USA 3x3 National Championships has grown each year since we first launched in 2012, and we felt it was time to bring the tournament to a larger stage.
"Our successful hosting of various events in Las Vegas helped make the decision to hold the 2019 USA 3x3 Nationals at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center an easy one. Fans of basketball will enjoy watching what we think will be an incredibly exciting weekend of competition."
The USA 3x3 Nationals which is free and open to the public will tip off Friday afternoon with preliminary-round games. The pool play will continue Saturday morning after which teams will be seeded based on records in pool play. The knockout rounds including bracket play and the finals will begin Saturday afternoon.
"Playing 3-x-3 or playground ball is different because you have a lot more freedom," Stonewall said. "You can pretty much do whatever you want---break someone down off the bounce, use a screen, score off a one-on-one move."
Campbell added: "Unlike five-on-five full-court, this will be all half-court. Having a big player staying down low could be tough to face, but it's just a 12-second shot clock. Everything will be moving much faster and that could tire out a bigger player.
"This is a really cool opportunity. It's a chance to win a national championship. And, the bigger picture of where this could lead is in the back of your mind."
Stonewall shared that same dream.
"It will be the first time in my life there's an opportunity to make an Olympic team," she said. How cool would that be? Getting an invitation to a USA Basketball event like this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."