COLORADO SPRINGS – Villanova University women's basketball will be sending four players to compete in the 2003 USA Basketball 3X Nationals. The event is scheduled for May 5-7 at Reid Arena on the campus of Colorado College in Colorado Springs.
The four Wildcats who are scheduled to travel to Colorado include junior
Maddie Burke (Doylestown, Pa.), along with the sophomore trio of
Zanai Jones (Jersey City, N.J.), Lucy Olsen (Collegeville, Pa.) and
Christina Dalce (Edison, N.J.).
Olsen earned second team All-BIG EAST honors this past season by averaging 12.4 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per contest to go with a team-leading 163 assists. Dalce had a breakout sophomore campaign for the Wildcats ranking third on the team in scoring at 7.3 points per game and second in rebounding with a 7.9 rebounds per game average. She also set a Villanova single season record for blocked shots with 86. Burke led the 2022-23 Wildcats in three-point field goals made with 69 and was fourth on the team in scoring at 7.1 points per game, while Jones played in 29 games as a reserve and tallied 56 points, 24 assists and 19 rebounds.
"We are excited for the return of USA Basketball 3X Nationals to Colorado Springs," said
Jim Tooley, USA Basketball CEO. "This event serves as a great opportunity for athletes to be evaluated for various USA Basketball 3x3 national teams and elevates awareness of this emerging and unique style of basketball."
The event will feature up to 16 women's teams and 12 men's teams, including some of the best 3x3 players in the country, vying for national titles.
An impressive lineup of NCAA Division I women's programs are expected to field teams at 3X Nationals, including Creighton, Duke, Gonzaga, Indiana, Maryland, Middle Tennessee State, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Seton Hall, St. John's, Tennessee, UCLA, Utah and Villanova.
3X Nationals will serve as an evaluation for selection to various 2023 USA Basketball 3x3 men's and women's national teams, including the 2023 FIBA 3x3 World Cup, set for May 30-June 4 in Vienna, Austria, and roster spots for USA Basketball World Tour, Women's Series and U21 and U23 Nations League teams.
Played on a half court with a 10-minute clock and a 12-second shot clock, the first team to 21 points, or the team in the lead at the end of regulation, is the winner. Participating teams earned their spots in the 2023 USA Basketball 3X Nationals either through USA Basketball 3X regional qualifying tournaments last fall or via an at-large invitation from USA Basketball.
