Braun Selected for US 3on3 Trials



May 12, 2023


"USA Basketball today announced 18 athletes expected to participate in the 2023 USA 3x3 Women’s National Team trials at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. As trials begin May 12, the USA Basketball 3x3 Selection Committee will be on hand to evaluate participating athletes for 2023-24 3x3 national teams.

The women’s trials feature invitees who bring a combination of USA Basketball (5-on-5 and 3x3), professional and collegiate experience.

Participating athletes are Azana Baines, Mara Braun, Sam Breen, Cameron Brink, Cierra Burdick, Marquesha Davis, Lexi Donarski, Linnae Harper, Leilani Kapinus, Natalie Kucowski, Jaelynn Penn, Alexis Peterson, Breanna Richardson, Madison Scott, Hailey Van Lith, Skylar Vann, Kayla Wells and Camille Zimmerman."

Numerous participating players have won awards including gold medals.

"Braun, Breen and Kapinus will make their USA Basketball debuts."
 


That's nice! I like the move! (above clip)
 


With NIL and portal this can be huge for her and possibly the Gophers. Networking and building friendships with other excellent players.
Hope so, but being a Gopher fan for over half a century makes me think it could also work the other way.
 



USA Basketball announced the final 2023 USA 3x3 World Cup team. Only four players are on the final team.


They are Cameron Brink, Cierra Burdick, Linnea Harper and Hailey Van Lith.
 

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FYI





The next WNBA draft will include:

G Caitlin Clark (Iowa) (although she could stay one more year some say)

G Paige Bueckers (UConn)

F Angel Reese (LSU)

F/C Cameron Brink (Stanford)

G Haley Van Lith (LSU)

F Aaliyah Edwards (UConn)

G Deja Kelly (UNC)

Cameron Brink may be underrated, with the guard shooters getting so much attention.
 

FYI





The next WNBA draft will include:

G Caitlin Clark (Iowa) (although she could stay one more year some say)

G Paige Bueckers (UConn)

F Angel Reese (LSU)

F/C Cameron Brink (Stanford)

G Haley Van Lith (LSU)

F Aaliyah Edwards (UConn)

G Deja Kelly (UNC)

Cameron Brink may be underrated, with the guard shooters getting so much attention.
I would expect Buecker's to stay another year too. It sounds like they can make more money in college than the WNBA but maybe might want to go overseas. I would be surprised if she doesn't play at least one more year in college.
 


Braun selected for U21 team headed to China

MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota's Mara Braun was selected to participate at the 2023 FIBA 3x3 U21 Nations League in Handan, China, with USA Basketball, the organization announced Wednesday. Braun, along with five other Division I women's basketball student-athletes, were selected by the respective men's and women's USA Basketball 3x3 National Team committees.

The FIBA 3x3 U21 Nations League Asia-Pacific Conference is scheduled for June 23-29 in Handan, China. The competition will feature six three-game tournaments in seven days in which the six team members can substitute as needed for each day's four-person entry. The winning team in each of 13 conference events hosted worldwide will qualify for the FIBA 3x3 U23 Nations League Final Sept. 13-15 in Mongolia. The event will stream live on YouTube on the FIBA3x3 Official YouTube channel.

Different from 5-on-5, 3x3 is played on a half-court with a 10-minute game clock and 12-second shot clock. Play is continuous, as teams "clear" the ball behind the 2-point line following a made basket, defensive rebound or steal. The first team to score 21 points via 1-point field goals or 2-pointers behind the arc is victorious; or if time expires then the team leading wins.

Braun is coming off a freshman season at the University of Minnesota where she led the Golden Gophers in scoring at 15.6 points per game. The rising sophomore was named to the Big Ten's All-Freshman Team and led the Maroon and Gold in threes made (65), free throws made (84) and was second on the team in steals (44). Braun was the first Gopher to lead Minnesota in scoring since Rachel Banham in 2011-12 (16.1 ppg). She also shot at an 87.5 percent clip from the free throw line, a freshman single-season program record. Braun was clutch in multiple moments for Minnesota last season, hitting a buzzer-beating shot against Lehigh, on her way to a career high 34 points, and dished the game-winning assist against Nebraska, while adding 28 points on 9-of-13 shooting. Braun ended her first college season in the Big Ten Tournament with a 25-point game in her postseason debut, tying Banham for the second most points in a Big Ten Tournament game by a freshman in program history and one of just nine players in program history to score 25 or more in any Big Ten Tournament game.

Braun will play with a team that features Christina Dalce (Villanova), Jillian Hollingshead (Tennessee), Morgan Maly (Creighton) Lucy Olsen (Villanova) and Shyanne Sellers (Maryland). The 2023 USA 3x3 U21 Nations League teams will train in Miami Lakes, Fla., from June 17-19 before traveling to China.

For more information on the Gophers, continue to check back with GopherSports.com. Keep up with the University of Minnesota women's basketball on Twitter and Instagram (@GopherWBB) and on Facebook, so you do not miss any content during the offseason.
 







 

Haley van Lith in action at the 3x3.




Is she overrated? Underrated?
 



And there's Mara Braun!

"The USA 3x3 Women's U21 Nations League Team."




1687482842446.png
 

Kinda curious about everybody's thoughts on this. Are we: Super glad that she's representing our country for the next couple of weeks, playing overseas. This will really help improve her overall game. What an honor!

Or, are we: I kinda wish she hadn't made the final cut so she could stay home and work/practice/bond with her teammates this summer in hopes of making this team more competitive this season.
 

Kinda curious about everybody's thoughts on this. Are we: Super glad that she's representing our country for the next couple of weeks, playing overseas. This will really help improve her overall game. What an honor!

Or, are we: I kinda wish she hadn't made the final cut so she could stay home and work/practice/bond with her teammates this summer in hopes of making this team more competitive this season.
Paragraph #1
 


Kinda curious about everybody's thoughts on this. Are we: Super glad that she's representing our country for the next couple of weeks, playing overseas. This will really help improve her overall game. What an honor!

Or, are we: I kinda wish she hadn't made the final cut so she could stay home and work/practice/bond with her teammates this summer in hopes of making this team more competitive this season.
#1, hands down
 

Kinda curious about everybody's thoughts on this. Are we: Super glad that she's representing our country for the next couple of weeks, playing overseas. This will really help improve her overall game. What an honor!

Or, are we: I kinda wish she hadn't made the final cut so she could stay home and work/practice/bond with her teammates this summer in hopes of making this team more competitive this season.
Paragraph #1 - no brainer!!!!
 

Anyone watch any of her games this morning? They can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/@FIBA3x3/featured

And here is the schedule:
Team USA FIBA U21 Nations League Schedule (All in Central Time)
June 23 (4:15 a.m.) - United States vs. Chile (Pool A)
June 23 (5:40 a.m.) - United States vs. China (Pool A)
June 23 (7:00 a.m. or 7:50 a.m.) - United States vs. TBD (Pool A)
June 24 (4:15 a.m.) - United States vs. Chile (Pool A)
June 24 (5:40 a.m.) - United States vs. Japan (Pool A)
June 24 (7:00 a.m. or 7:50 a.m.) - United States vs. TBD (Pool A)
June 25 (3:50 a.m.) - United States vs. Japan (Pool B)
June 25 (7:00 a.m.) - United States vs. TBD (Pool B)
June 27 (4:15 a.m.) - United States vs. Chile (Pool A)
June 27 (5:40 a.m.) - United States vs. China (Pool A)
June 27 (7:50 a.m.) - United States vs. TBD (Pool A)
June 28 (4:15 a.m.) - United States vs. Chile (Pool A)
June 28 (5:40 a.m.) - United States vs. Japan (Pool A)
June 28 (7:50 a.m.) - United States vs. TBD (Pool A)
June 29 (3:50 a.m.) - United States vs. Japan (Pool B)
June 29 (7:00 a.m.) - United States vs. TBD (Pool B)

looked through some of the videos from today and didn't see Braun: https://www.youtube.com/@FIBA3x3/streams
 

I agree. Number 1. Plus, the team gets extra practice and experience together later this summer when they go to on their overseas trip.
 

Anyone watch any of her games this morning? They can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/@FIBA3x3/featured

And here is the schedule:
Team USA FIBA U21 Nations League Schedule (All in Central Time)
June 23 (4:15 a.m.) - United States vs. Chile (Pool A)
June 23 (5:40 a.m.) - United States vs. China (Pool A)
June 23 (7:00 a.m. or 7:50 a.m.) - United States vs. TBD (Pool A)
June 24 (4:15 a.m.) - United States vs. Chile (Pool A)
June 24 (5:40 a.m.) - United States vs. Japan (Pool A)
June 24 (7:00 a.m. or 7:50 a.m.) - United States vs. TBD (Pool A)
June 25 (3:50 a.m.) - United States vs. Japan (Pool B)
June 25 (7:00 a.m.) - United States vs. TBD (Pool B)
June 27 (4:15 a.m.) - United States vs. Chile (Pool A)
June 27 (5:40 a.m.) - United States vs. China (Pool A)
June 27 (7:50 a.m.) - United States vs. TBD (Pool A)
June 28 (4:15 a.m.) - United States vs. Chile (Pool A)
June 28 (5:40 a.m.) - United States vs. Japan (Pool A)
June 28 (7:50 a.m.) - United States vs. TBD (Pool A)
June 29 (3:50 a.m.) - United States vs. Japan (Pool B)
June 29 (7:00 a.m.) - United States vs. TBD (Pool B)

looked through some of the videos from today and didn't see Braun: https://www.youtube.com/@FIBA3x3/streams
Only 4 players are on the game roster at a time. She was not one of the four today.
 

Anyone watch any of her games this morning? They can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/@FIBA3x3/featured

And here is the schedule:
Team USA FIBA U21 Nations League Schedule (All in Central Time)
June 23 (4:15 a.m.) - United States vs. Chile (Pool A)
June 23 (5:40 a.m.) - United States vs. China (Pool A)
June 23 (7:00 a.m. or 7:50 a.m.) - United States vs. TBD (Pool A)
June 24 (4:15 a.m.) - United States vs. Chile (Pool A)
June 24 (5:40 a.m.) - United States vs. Japan (Pool A)
June 24 (7:00 a.m. or 7:50 a.m.) - United States vs. TBD (Pool A)
June 25 (3:50 a.m.) - United States vs. Japan (Pool B)
June 25 (7:00 a.m.) - United States vs. TBD (Pool B)
June 27 (4:15 a.m.) - United States vs. Chile (Pool A)
June 27 (5:40 a.m.) - United States vs. China (Pool A)
June 27 (7:50 a.m.) - United States vs. TBD (Pool A)
June 28 (4:15 a.m.) - United States vs. Chile (Pool A)
June 28 (5:40 a.m.) - United States vs. Japan (Pool A)
June 28 (7:50 a.m.) - United States vs. TBD (Pool A)
June 29 (3:50 a.m.) - United States vs. Japan (Pool B)
June 29 (7:00 a.m.) - United States vs. TBD (Pool B)

looked through some of the videos from today and didn't see Braun: https://www.youtube.com/@FIBA3x3/streams
They have five players on the roster in one of the photos I saw. And only four are in a game (including one on the bench). I am guessing Mara sat out this round of games.
 

They have five players on the roster in one of the photos I saw. And only four are in a game (including one on the bench). I am guessing Mara sat out this round of games.
I wonder if she will play in any games. I am guessing not unless for some reason she would be a better matchup.
 


It would really be a big waste of her time if she didn’t play at all. Are the other 4 all better then her? I know nothing about them.
 




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