COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.  – Four members of the Maryland women's basketball team will travel to Las Vegas, Nev. this weekend to play in the USA Basketball Women's 3x3 National Championship.

Shakira Austin, Stephanie Jones, Taylor Mikesell and Blair Watson will compete as a Maryland team in the 13-team event Friday and Saturday. Teams were formed from many of the top Division I programs and two teams will be comprised of eight athletes invited to attend a two-day minicamp prior to the USA Women's 3x3 Nationals.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held for the first time outdoors at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, located in the heart of downtown Las Vegas. 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 schedule will be posted this week here.

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. 

Rosters can be found online here.

The event also will serve as the 2019 USA Basketball Women's 3x3 National Team trials, as all eligible athletes will be in consideration for selection to the 2019 USA Women's 2019 U.S. Pan American Games 3x3 Basketball Team.

As done in previous years, USA Basketball invited select NCAA Division I 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, N.C. State, defending USA 3x3 National Championship gold medalist Oregon, Stanford and Texas.

Olympic fans will see the launch of a new basketball discipline with the inclusion of 3x3 in 2020. The exciting and fast-paced game officially was unveiled in international competition at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games and has since become a fan favorite at FIBA 3x3 World Cup events. 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. 

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.

-Terps-