UConn Alums Dolson, Samuelson On USA Olympic 3-On-3 Squad

STORRS, CT — Former UConn women's basketball All-Americans Stefanie Dolson and Katie Lou Samuelson have been selected to the U.S. Olympic 3-on-3 women's basketball roster for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The 3-on-3 tourney makes its Olympic debut this summer. 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 full-squad 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.

Currently a member of the Chicago Sky, Dolson is 42-3 all-time with USA Basketball teams, including five-on-five and 3-on-3 games. She first played with the USA National Team in 2013 as a college student and since has been on six full-squad 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 U-18 Championship and the 2011 FIBA U-19 World Cup.

Samuelson is 55-2 with USA five-on-five and 3-on-3 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 (3-on-3), the 2013 FIBA 3-on-3 U-18 World Cup, 2013 FIBA Americas 3-on-3 U18 Championship, the 2014 FIBA U-17 World Cup, where she was named to the all-tournament team, and the 2013 FIBA Americas U-16 Championship.

Samuelson, who won 3-on-3 gold medals at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games and the 2013 FIBA 3-on-3 U-18 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, 3-on-3 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 3-on-3 competition in November 2019 based on their FIBA national federation rankings, including China, Mongolia, Romania and Russia. Three more teams qualified from the May 2021 FIBA 3-on-3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, including the USA, France and Japan. The eighth and final team, Italy, earned its berth at the June FIBA 3-on-3 Universal Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

The 3-on-3 game was unveiled in international competition at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games and since has become a fan favorite at FIBA World Cup events.

The 3-on-3 game 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.