Dolson, Samuelson Named to U.S. Olympic 3x3 Team

Katie Lou Samuelson, Stefanie Dolson and Alisha Gray were among
the players named to the USA Olympic women's basketball team.
All three will compete in the inaugural 3x3 Olympic competition
in Tokyo this summer. [Photo Courtesy USA Basketball]

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—Former UConn women’s basketball All-Americans Stefanie Dolson and Katie Lou Samuelson were selected to the U.S. Olympic 3x3 Women’s Basketball roster for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This summer is the inaugural 3x3 Olympic competition. Dolson and Samuelson, along with Kelsey Plum and Allisha Gray were the four athletes who qualified USA Basketball for the Summer Games.

This is the first Olympics for Dolson and Samuelson. Along with the 5x5 team, seven former Huskies will represent USA Basketball at the 2020 Olympics as the duo joins Sue Bird, Tina Charles, Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi in Tokyo. This will be a record fifth Olympics for both Taurasi and Bird.

Currently a member of the Chicago Sky, Dolson is 42-3 all-time with USA Basketball teams, including five-on-five and 3x3. She first played with the USA National Team in 2013 as a college student and since has been on six five-on-five national team rosters between the 2019 FIBA AmeriCup and exhibition games. She won gold medals with USA Basketball junior national teams at the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship and the 2011 FIBA U19 World Cup.

Samuelson is 55-2 with USA five-on-five and 3x3 teams in competition and exhibition games. She owns one gold medal with the USA National Team from the 2019 AmeriCup and five gold medals from junior national USA teams. She won gold at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games (3x3), the 2013 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup, 2013 FIBA Americas 3x3 U18 Championship, the 2014 FIBA U17 World Cup, where she was named to the all-tournament team, and the 2013 FIBA Americas U16 Championship. 

Samuelson, who won 3x3 gold medals at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games and the 2013 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup, will become the first USA Basketball player to compete in a Youth Olympic Games and an Olympic Games. In its first Olympic showing, 3x3 basketball will feature eight women’s teams competing at Aomi Urban Sports Park from July 24-28. The preliminary round will be played from July 24-27. The quarterfinals will be on July 27, and the semifinals and finals are set for July 28.

Four women’s teams qualified for the Tokyo Olympic 3x3 competition in November of 2019 based on their FIBA 3x3 national federation rankings, including China, Mongolia, Romania and Russia. Three more teams qualified from the May 2021 FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, including the USA, France and Japan. The eighth and final team, Italy, earned its berth at the June FIBA 3x3 Universal Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

An exciting and fast-paced game, 3x3 officially was unveiled in international competition at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games and since has become a fan favorite at FIBA 3x3 World Cup events.

3x3 basketball is played with a 12-second shot clock on a half court. Baskets inside the arc and free throws are worth one point, and baskets made from outside the arc are worth two points. The winner is the first team to score 21 points, or the leading team at the end of the 10-minute game clock. Each team consists of four players, three on the court and one substitute per team.

—Staff Reports

Travelers Championship Hosts Gamers vs Golfers Charity Streaming Event on Twitch

HARTFORD—The Travelers Championship will bring the worlds of PGA TOUR golf and video gaming together in an innovative Gamers versus Golfers fundraising initiative that will be streamed live on Twitch during tournament week.

Five PGA TOUR players—Max Homa, Joaquin Niemann, Carlos Ortiz, Harold Varner III and Matthew Wolff—are scheduled to compete against five professional gamers—BJPofficial, CohhCarnage, Crowder, daltoosh and Sydnee “sydsogood” Goodman. They’ll be playing PGA TOUR 2K21, which features the site of the Travelers Championship, TPC River Highlands in Cromwell.

Fans can participate by following the gamers’ channels on Twitch, and can donate to the tournament’s primary beneficiary, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, by following prompts and instructions during the streams. Camp provides a traditional summer camp experience for seriously ill children at its facility in Ashford, Connecticut.

Each of the five professional gamers will be playing PGA TOUR 2K21 in two-hour blocks, spread out on Tuesday, June 22, and Wednesday, June 23. They will be joined for at least 30 minutes by a PGA TOUR player, pitting great golfers against top gamers:

• Tuesday, June 22 (all times ET):

o 2:30-4:30 p.m.: Crowder with Matthew Wolff from 4-4:30 p.m.

o 4:30-6:30 p.m.: daltoosh with Max Homa from 6-6:30 p.m.

o 6:30-8:30 p.m.: BJPofficial with Joaquin Niemann from 8-8:30 p.m.

o 8:30-10:30 p.m.: sydsogood with Carlos Ortiz from 9-9:30 p.m.

• Wednesday, June 23 (all times ET):

o 6:30-8:30 p.m.: CohhCarnage with Harold Varner III from 7-7:30 p.m.

“From the start of our title sponsorship, we’ve remained focused on making the event bigger and better every year by introducing exciting elements that can attract a diverse fanbase,” said Andy Bessette, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at Travelers. “Our Gamers versus Golfers event is the perfect example of how we’re always trying to create greater awareness for the tournament, generate more money for charity and deliver innovative ways to engage with our audience.”

All five of the participating players from the PGA TOUR have committed to play in this year’s Travelers Championship. They include:

Max Homa is a two-time PGA TOUR winner, including earlier this season at The Genesis Invitational. He has played in the Travelers Championship three times (2015, 2019, 2020) and is No. 40 in this week’s Official World Golf Ranking.

Joaquin Niemann became the first player from Chile to win on the PGA TOUR when he captured the A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier event in 2020. Niemann tied for fifth at the Travelers Championship in 2019, the same year he played in the Presidents Cup.

Carlos Ortiz earned his first PGA TOUR victory when he won the Vivint Houston Open in November. Ortiz will be making his fifth appearance in the Travelers Championship, and is No. 53 in this week’s Official World Golf Ranking.

Harold Varner III has 13 top-10 finishes in his PGA TOUR career, including a tie for second place in this season’s RBC Heritage. Varner has played in the Travelers Championship each of the past four years, with a tie for 21st in 2019 his best finish at TPC River Highlands.

Matthew Wolff made his PGA TOUR debut as a professional at the 2019 Travelers Championship. He won two starts later, at the 3M Open. Wolff finished second in 2020 at the U.S. Open and tied for fourth at the 2020 PGA Championship.

The professional gamers include:

BJPofficial is a Twitch streamer who focuses on sports, and hosts a weekly sports talk show on ESPN Radio. He has been streaming for more than five years, and golf is one of his favorite sports to watch and play. Follow BJPofficial here: Twitch.tv/bjpofficial.

CohhCarnage has become synonymous with Twitch where he’s known for the variety of games he plays live to thousands of fans, who enjoy his adventurous game-playing spirit. An assortment of game developers have relied on his content to bring their releases to gamers everywhere. Follow CohhCarnage here: Twitch.tv/cohhcarnage.

Crowder became a Call of Duty world champion in 2015, is a full-time streamer and is the coach of the Call of Duty League's Atlanta FaZe. Follow Crowder here: Twitch.tv/crowder.

daltoosh is a professional streamer, content creator and Apex Legends player. Daltoosh is no stranger to golf, and loves playing both golf video games and in real life. Follow daltoosh here: Twitch.tv/daltoosh.

Sydnee “sydsogood” Goodman is the former host of IGN’s show “Daily Fix,” where she wrote and produced daily news about games, tech and entertainment. She is now focused on creating content and streaming around a variety of games, fashion and fitness. Follow sydsogood here: Twitch.tv/sydsogood.

The Travelers Championship will take place June 21-27 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell. This year’s player field includes defending champion Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Cantlay, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Tony Finau, Paul Casey, Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson. Mickelson, aka "Lefty," of course, recently became the oldest player in history to win a major event on the PGA TOUR when he captured the PGA at the age of 50.

One of the premier events on the PGA TOUR, the Travelers supports the TOUR’s Tradition of Giving Back by donating 100% of net proceeds to charities. Travelers, a leading provider of property and casualty insurance for auto, home and business, is the Official Property Casualty Insurance Provider of the PGA TOUR. The company became the tournament’s title sponsor in 2007. Travelers has been doing business in the Hartford community for more than 160 years and has been a corporate sponsor of this event each year since its inception in 1952. Complete details are available at TravelersChampionship.com.

For tournament updates, please visit TravelersChampionship.com.

The Travelers Championship is one of the premier events on the PGA TOUR and part of the FedExCup.

—Staff Reports

#travelerschamp #travelerschampionship @travelerschamp

CT AHL Teams To Play 72-Game Schedule

BRIDGEPORT—The Amercan Hockey League announced today that a schedule unification plan has been adopted that will see all teams play a 72-game regular-season schedule beginning in 2022-23.

As part of the plan, for the 2021-22 season, all teams in the Atlantic, North and Central Divisions have the option of playing either 76 or 72 games, while teams in the Pacific Division will play 68 games.

Additionally, there will be an increase in the number of teams qualifying for the Calder Cup Playoffs each year; details will be finalized and announced later in the off-season.

The Bridgeport Islanders (formerly the Sound Tigers), Hartford Wolf Pack, and Providence Bruins will play 72-games in the 2021-22 regular season, while the Springfield Thunderbirds will play a 76-game slate.

“I am very pleased that we were able to achieve a schedule of 72 games for all teams in the American Hockey League,” AHL President and CEO Scott Howso said. “In coming together to create a plan that is fair and equitable, our owners have demonstrated a commitment to the long-term strength of the league.”

The following alignment has been approved for the Atlantic Division for the 2021-22 AHL season (National Hockey League affiliations in parentheses):

Atlantic Division

*Bridgeport Islanders (New York Islanders)

*Hartford Wolf Pack (New York Rangers)

*Providence Bruins (Boston Bruins)

*Springfield Thunderbirds (St. Louis Blues)

*Charlotte Checkers (Florida Panthers)

*Hershey Bears (Washington Capitals)

*Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia Flyers)

*Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins)

AHL teams playing 76 games in 2021-22: Chicago, Cleveland, Grand Rapids, Hershey, Lehigh Valley, Milwaukee, Rochester, Springfield, Syracuse, W-B/Scranton

AHL teams playing 72 games in 2021-22: Belleville, Bridgeport, Charlotte, Hartford, Iowa, Laval, Manitoba, Providence, Rockford, Texas, Toronto, Utica

AHL teams playing 68 games in 2021-22: Abbotsford, Bakersfield, Colorado, Henderson, Ontario, San Diego, San Jose, Stockton, Tucson

The playing schedule and postseason format for the 2021-22 season, which begins Oct. 15, will be announced this summer.

—Staff Reports

@AHL Islanders #hartfordwolfpack @hartford_wolfpack #AHL

Sun Smack Liberty

By Bob Phillips

UNCASVILLE—Led by a 31-point, 13-rebound performance by Jonquel Jones, the Connecticut Sun trounced the New York Liberty 85-64 at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday night. Brionna Jones added 14 points, eight rebounds and two steals, while DeWanna Bonner chipped in with 13 points for Connecticut.

The Sun led by five, 24-19, after the first quarter led by seven and six points from DeWanna Bonner and Jonquel Jones, respectively. But the Liberty came back to take the lead by opening the second period on a 16-9 tear, which included a 12-0 run.

But then it was the Sun's turn to tear it up as Jones, the Bahama native who renounced the citizenship of her native country in favor of Bosnia Herzegovina in order to play in the lucrative European Leagues, scored 10 points during a key 15-0 run to close the first half and early third quarter that gave the Connecticut a 52-37 lead. From that point, the Liberty, who were held to their lowest point total of the season, never got closer than nine points.

Early in the third quarter the Sun went on a 9-0 run and opened a 15-point lead, their biggest advantage of the contest. The Connecticut defense held New York to 12 points in the third, while the Sun put 19 on the board. The fourth quarter proved to be more of the same as Connecticut opened with an 8-0 run, extending their lead to 20 points, outscoring New York 23-15 in the final frame.

“We understood that they were going to play a ‘small ball’ lineup,” said Jones, the WNBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Month in May. “While it gives them some advantages offensively, we understood that defensively they were going to be really, really small.”

That goes a long way to explain Connecticut's dominance on the boards. The Sun out-rebounded the Liberty 38-22, including 14-3 off the offensive glass. Huge rebound numbers can be misleading, often driven by poor shooting. Such was not the case Saturday as Connecticut shot 43.7 percent from the floor.

“At the beginning of the game I tried to assert myself to get position [in the paint], but it wasn’t really working out,” continued JJ. “Getting on the offensive boards [helped]. The second quarter and the rest of the game we kind of settled in and I was able to get the catches and the touches that I wanted.”

Rebecca Allen led New York, which has lost three in a row, with 14 points. Betnijah Laney, who averaged a career-best 17.2 points and was named the WNBA most improved player last season, finished with eight points shooting 4-for-12 from the field. The 27-year-old small forward from Rutgers had scored at least 20 points in every game this season—her first with the Liberty after stints in Chicago, Indiana, Atlanta and with the Sun in 2018.

“We found our tempo and stayed true to what we thought would work and that was playing through the paint; playing through our size advantage,” Sun head coach and general manager Curt Miller said. “We slowed down, and we executed.” In addition to his team's dominance off the boards, the Sun had 22 second-chance points to the Liberty's 2, and outscored their opponents 44-18 in the paint.

With the win the first-place Sun improved to 8-2 while the sixth-ranked Liberty dropped their third straight game and fell to 5-4.

Next up for the Sun will be a match-up with Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird and the Seattle Storm on Sunday at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Tip-off is 2 p.m. (ET) and the game will be streamed live on Facebook. The Libs will travel to Phoenix on Sunday to challenge Diana Taurasi and the Mercury. Game tips off at 6 p.m. (ET) and will be televised live on YES.

JJ To Compete in Euro Tourney

The Sun announced that superstar Jonquel Jones will be leaving the team compete in the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2021, representing Bosnia and Herzegovina. The competition is being held in Strasbourg, France with a berth in the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup on the line. Jones will be temporarily suspended.

JJ will be absent for Connecticut’s four (4) games scheduled from June 13-22. Based on her team’s record in group play, Jones may potentially miss two additional games scheduled for June 27 and 29. The 6-6 forward leads the league in rebounding (10.4 rpg), ranks fifth in points per game (21.6) and is tied for third with Ariel Atkins for three pointers made with 23.

For additional information about the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2021 click HERE. Information on the Connecticut Sun can be found at connecticutsun.com or by cliccking HERE.

—with staff reports #CTSun @Connecticut_Sun #nyliberty @nyliberty #wnba