Latest news with #HarmoniTurner
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Could a new 3X3 women's basketball tourney create a pipeline for the Olympics?
Harmoni Turner is still processing what happened to her in early May. Turner had been a star at Harvard for four seasons, earning the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year award as a senior. She was a third-round selection by the Las Vegas Aces in April's WNBA Draft and entered training camp focused on making the final roster. Advertisement But the Aces waived Turner, the No. 35 pick, just over a week into her first preseason as a pro. She returned home to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. For more than two weeks, Turner didn't set foot in a gym — the hiatus marking the longest non-injury break she'd had from playing. 'I never thought that I'd be in this situation this long, feeling that,' she said. 'This part is heavy.' She asked herself: 'Is this something I really want to do?' The answer she came to was yes, but she's still working to regain the joy she finds on the court. Thirteen members of April's draft class were released before WNBA opening night on May 17. A few have subsequently signed short-term W contracts. But more than 30 percent of the players drafted in April have contemplated a similar question. 'When you get waived, you're kinda just like, 'What do we do now?'' Turner said. Every year, dozens of talented players — even sometimes first-round draft picks — are cut after training camps because of the WNBA's limited roster capacity. Players who are waived usually try to stay in shape through private training or with coaches at their alma maters. Some sign summer international contracts in Mexico, or they might even move on to other careers. Advertisement This summer, there's another chance for players to showcase themselves. More than 20 percent of this year's draft class is scheduled to compete in 3XBA, which is hosting a two-day 3×3 tournament beginning Friday. Turner and other recently cut draftees such as Shyanne Sellers (Maryland), Destanni Henderson (South Carolina), Grace Berger (Indiana), Christyn Williams (Connecticut), Serena Sundell (Kansas State) and McKenzie Forbes (USC) will also play at the event. Eight teams of four will participate in Spokane, Wash., as part of Hoopfest, the world's largest three-on-three tournament. 'I can't wait to get back to work and showcase my talents,' Turner said. 'No pressure. (It's) back to square one and just see where it takes me.' Without a WNBA developmental league and with limited WNBA roster space, any chance to showcase skills — if even for a weekend — is a valuable opportunity for players looking to keep playing professionally. Because of the Olympics and Unrivaled, 3×3 basketball is increasingly lauded for its potential to develop the talent pool in the U.S. Advertisement Players competing in 3XBA see it as a chance to stay on WNBA general managers' radars while also working toward Olympic qualification. Though the tour doesn't present itself as an official WNBA development league, it aspires to become a robust and elite year-round professional tour in North America. (It's unlike Unrivaled, which caters to established WNBA players seeking domestic offseason playing opportunities.) 'We aim to be the premier professional 3×3 space, but we can effectively solve for (the lack of a WNBA development league) and create a space that allows for that while also standing alone,' 3XBA co-founder Alanna McDonald said. Although different in rules and structure — games are 10 minutes, played on a half court and with a 12-second shot clock — than five-on-five, players and coaches experienced in high-level 3×3 competition gush about its impact on player improvement. 'To me, it is the best development tool that I've seen for players of all ages and, in particular, would serve the WNBA very well in that we don't have a developmental league like the NBA,' Washington Mystics coach Sydney Johnson said. Johnson, among other roles, served as the head coach of the gold medal-winning 2023 FIBA 3×3 U-23 men's World Cup team and silver medal-winning 2024 USA 3×3 women's AmeriCup team. Advertisement McDonald, who established a now-defunct professional 3×3 WNBA pilot program, helped start 3XBA last year, recognizing voids in the professional women's basketball landscape. 3XBA's event is FIBA-sanctioned and will provide Olympic qualifying points to participants. The winners also earn a bid to the FIBA 3×3 women's series event in Edmonton later this summer. A prize pool of $66,000 is available, with the winning team earning up to $23,000, depending on its performance in pool play, with players' take-home earnings split four ways. The fifth- through eighth-placed teams will win a minimum of $3,000. (The total pot is $18,000 more than recent FIBA women's series events, and the winning team could take in $9,000 more.) Interest in 3×3 continues to grow, which is why 3XBA additionally holds youth camps and clinics. McDonald hopes to strengthen the pipeline for the sport, which entered Olympic competition during the Tokyo Games in 2021. Johnson said he sees 'strong alignment' between concepts in the WNBA and 3×3. In the latter, players are put in constant action and forced to create and defend in unscripted situations. Players compete at an up-tempo pace and make quick, complicated reads. 'It is very much a 10-minute sprint, or, as we fondly like to call it, 10 minutes of hell,' said former WNBA player Cierra Burdick, who won a bronze medal on last summer's U.S. 3×3 Olympic roster and will play in the upcoming tournament. Advertisement Chicago Sky guard Hailey Van Lith, who played on last year's U.S. 3×3 Olympic team, credits the experience to a jump in her one-on-one defense, passing ability and basketball IQ. Phoenix Mercury forward Kathryn Westbeld, a 29-year-old rookie, used 3×3 competitions (including in 3XBA last summer) to stay connected to the game and develop her one-on-one skills. She would have played in 3XBA's Spokane event had she not made the Mercury's roster. A day after getting cut by the Dallas Wings, Madison Scott — their No. 14 pick — returned to Oxford, Miss., where she starred for Ole Miss, and decompressed before getting back in the gym. The 6-foot-2 forward aims to become a more versatile player, working on improving her 3-point shot and her basketball IQ from the wing position. She was immediately drawn to 3XBA, after playing 3×3 in USA Basketball competitions throughout college. 'I just want to continue to expand, continue to grow, continue to add stuff to my bag. So that way, when five-on-five comes and my number is called, everything that I've learned from three-on-three, from all my great coaches, all my great teammates, I can translate it to five-on-five,' Scott said. The WNBA is watching. Upcoming 3XBA competition will be broadcast on the AWSN channel on Pluto TV, and multiple WNBA executives said they will monitor the event. Already, some players who planned to participate in 3XBA will be unavailable because they've signed WNBA contracts. Advertisement 'When you're a good three-on-three player, coaches and front-office people can know that you have a high IQ because (there are) so many decisions around you, and they know you got some toughness to you because the game is physically demanding,' Johnson said. 'For you to be good in that format, it bodes well for you to fly over and possibly help out a WNBA team.' Turner, who also has USA Basketball 3×3 experience, is excited about the opportunity to release the competitive energy she has pent up. Scott is cognizant of the benefits of a successful tournament. Both said they would love to one day play for the U.S. Olympic 3×3 team, but their focus is on the short term. 'Great exposure — you get to play with amazing players. Who wouldn't want to do this?' Scott said. 'This time cannot go to waste. My plan next year during this time is to be playing on a WNBA team.' Advertisement This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty, Seattle Storm, Los Angeles Sparks, Washington Mystics, Atlanta Dream, Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Indiana Fever, Dallas Wings, Las Vegas Aces, Phoenix Mercury, Golden State Valkyries, WNBA, Sports Business, Olympics 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
25-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Could a new 3X3 women's basketball tourney create a pipeline for the Olympics?
Harmoni Turner is still processing what happened to her in early May. Turner had been a star at Harvard for four seasons, earning the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year award as a senior. She was a third-round selection by the Las Vegas Aces in April's WNBA Draft and entered training camp focused on making the final roster. Advertisement But the Aces waived Turner, the No. 35 pick, just over a week into her first preseason as a pro. She returned home to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. For more than two weeks, Turner didn't set foot in a gym — the hiatus marking the longest non-injury break she'd had from playing. 'I never thought that I'd be in this situation this long, feeling that,' she said. 'This part is heavy.' She asked herself: 'Is this something I really want to do?' The answer she came to was yes, but she's still working to regain the joy she finds on the court. Thirteen members of April's draft class were released before WNBA opening night on May 17. A few have subsequently signed short-term W contracts. But more than 30 percent of the players drafted in April have contemplated a similar question. 'When you get waived, you're kinda just like, 'What do we do now?'' Turner said. Every year, dozens of talented players — even sometimes first-round draft picks — are cut after training camps because of the WNBA's limited roster capacity. Players who are waived usually try to stay in shape through private training or with coaches at their alma maters. Some sign summer international contracts in Mexico, or they might even move on to other careers. This summer, there's another chance for players to showcase themselves. More than 20 percent of this year's draft class is scheduled to compete in 3XBA, which is hosting a two-day 3×3 tournament beginning Friday. Turner and other recently cut draftees such as Shyanne Sellers (Maryland), Destanni Henderson (South Carolina), Grace Berger (Indiana), Christyn Williams (Connecticut), Serena Sundell (Kansas State) and McKenzie Forbes (USC) will also play at the event. Eight teams of four will participate in Spokane, Wash., as part of Hoopfest, the world's largest three-on-three tournament. 'I can't wait to get back to work and showcase my talents,' Turner said. 'No pressure. (It's) back to square one and just see where it takes me.' SHE'S IN 🎯 @harmoniiturner is locked in for 3XBA Spokane – Drafted by LV Aces in the 2025 WNBA Draft– FIBA 3×3 U23 World Cup Mongolia Gold Medalist – Becky Hammon Mid-Major POY 2025– Ivy League POY 2025– 1st in Ivy League scoring, PTS, FG and STL in 2024-25 season — 3XBA (@The3xBA) May 25, 2025 Without a WNBA developmental league and with limited WNBA roster space, any chance to showcase skills — if even for a weekend — is a valuable opportunity for players looking to keep playing professionally. Because of the Olympics and Unrivaled, 3×3 basketball is increasingly lauded for its potential to develop the talent pool in the U.S. Advertisement Players competing in 3XBA see it as a chance to stay on WNBA general managers' radars while also working toward Olympic qualification. Though the tour doesn't present itself as an official WNBA development league, it aspires to become a robust and elite year-round professional tour in North America. (It's unlike Unrivaled, which caters to established WNBA players seeking domestic offseason playing opportunities.) 'We aim to be the premier professional 3×3 space, but we can effectively solve for (the lack of a WNBA development league) and create a space that allows for that while also standing alone,' 3XBA co-founder Alanna McDonald said. Although different in rules and structure — games are 10 minutes, played on a half court and with a 12-second shot clock — than five-on-five, players and coaches experienced in high-level 3×3 competition gush about its impact on player improvement. 'To me, it is the best development tool that I've seen for players of all ages and, in particular, would serve the WNBA very well in that we don't have a developmental league like the NBA,' Washington Mystics coach Sydney Johnson said. Johnson, among other roles, served as the head coach of the gold medal-winning 2023 FIBA 3×3 U-23 men's World Cup team and silver medal-winning 2024 USA 3×3 women's AmeriCup team. McDonald, who established a now-defunct professional 3×3 WNBA pilot program, helped start 3XBA last year, recognizing voids in the professional women's basketball landscape. 3XBA's event is FIBA-sanctioned and will provide Olympic qualifying points to participants. The winners also earn a bid to the FIBA 3×3 women's series event in Edmonton later this summer. A prize pool of $66,000 is available, with the winning team earning up to $23,000, depending on its performance in pool play, with players' take-home earnings split four ways. The fifth- through eighth-placed teams will win a minimum of $3,000. (The total pot is $18,000 more than recent FIBA women's series events, and the winning team could take in $9,000 more.) Advertisement Interest in 3×3 continues to grow, which is why 3XBA additionally holds youth camps and clinics. McDonald hopes to strengthen the pipeline for the sport, which entered Olympic competition during the Tokyo Games in 2021. Johnson said he sees 'strong alignment' between concepts in the WNBA and 3×3. In the latter, players are put in constant action and forced to create and defend in unscripted situations. Players compete at an up-tempo pace and make quick, complicated reads. 'It is very much a 10-minute sprint, or, as we fondly like to call it, 10 minutes of hell,' said former WNBA player Cierra Burdick, who won a bronze medal on last summer's U.S. 3×3 Olympic roster and will play in the upcoming tournament. Chicago Sky guard Hailey Van Lith, who played on last year's U.S. 3×3 Olympic team, credits the experience to a jump in her one-on-one defense, passing ability and basketball IQ. Phoenix Mercury forward Kathryn Westbeld, a 29-year-old rookie, used 3×3 competitions (including in 3XBA last summer) to stay connected to the game and develop her one-on-one skills. She would have played in 3XBA's Spokane event had she not made the Mercury's roster. A day after getting cut by the Dallas Wings, Madison Scott — their No. 14 pick — returned to Oxford, Miss., where she starred for Ole Miss, and decompressed before getting back in the gym. The 6-foot-2 forward aims to become a more versatile player, working on improving her 3-point shot and her basketball IQ from the wing position. She was immediately drawn to 3XBA, after playing 3×3 in USA Basketball competitions throughout college. 'I just want to continue to expand, continue to grow, continue to add stuff to my bag. So that way, when five-on-five comes and my number is called, everything that I've learned from three-on-three, from all my great coaches, all my great teammates, I can translate it to five-on-five,' Scott said. She's not new to this, she's true to this ‼️Welcome Madison Scott to the 3XBA Spokane stage! – Drafted #14 Overall to the Dallas Wings – First Team All-SEC– 2x SEC All-Defensive Team – SEC Freshman of the Year 21– USA 3×3 Women's Series– McDonald's All-American — 3XBA (@The3xBA) May 28, 2025 The WNBA is watching. Upcoming 3XBA competition will be broadcast on the AWSN channel on Pluto TV, and multiple WNBA executives said they will monitor the event. Already, some players who planned to participate in 3XBA will be unavailable because they've signed WNBA contracts. 'When you're a good three-on-three player, coaches and front-office people can know that you have a high IQ because (there are) so many decisions around you, and they know you got some toughness to you because the game is physically demanding,' Johnson said. 'For you to be good in that format, it bodes well for you to fly over and possibly help out a WNBA team.' Advertisement Turner, who also has USA Basketball 3×3 experience, is excited about the opportunity to release the competitive energy she has pent up. Scott is cognizant of the benefits of a successful tournament. Both said they would love to one day play for the U.S. Olympic 3×3 team, but their focus is on the short term. 'Great exposure — you get to play with amazing players. Who wouldn't want to do this?' Scott said. 'This time cannot go to waste. My plan next year during this time is to be playing on a WNBA team.' (Photo of Harmoni Turner: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Harvard's Harmoni Turner is AP women's basketball player of the week
The Associated Press national player of the week in women's college basketball for Week 19 of the season: Harmoni Turner, Harvard The senior guard is The Associated Press women's college basketball player of the week. Turner scored a school record 44 points in the semifinals of the Ivy League Tournament and then added 24 in the championship game to help the Crimson earn their first NCAA bid since 2007. Runner-Up Katelyn Young, Murray State. The graduate student forward scored 23 of her 34 points in the first half and reached 3,000 for her career in the Missouri Valley Conference championship game win over Belmont. Young averaged 25.7 points in the tournament and earned MVP honors. She was 31-of-52 from the field in the tournament. Honorable Mention Meghan Andersen, Fairfield; Teneisia Brown, FDU; Paige Bueckers, UConn; Bella Nascimento, William & Mary. Season Recap JuJu Watkins of USC earned player of the week honors three times, the most of anyone this season. Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo, Florida State's Ta'Niya Latson and Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes all were honored twice. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women's college basketball: and The Associated Press
Associated Press
18-03-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Harvard's Harmoni Turner is AP women's basketball player of the week
▶ Follow AP's full coverage of March Madness. ▶ Get the AP Top 25 women's college basketball poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here. The Associated Press national player of the week in women's college basketball for Week 19 of the season: Harmoni Turner, Harvard The senior guard is The Associated Press women's college basketball player of the week. Turner scored a school record 44 points in the semifinals of the Ivy League Tournament and then added 24 in the championship game to help the Crimson earn their first NCAA bid since 2007. Runner-Up Katelyn Young, Murray State. The graduate student forward scored 23 of her 34 points in the first half and reached 3,000 for her career in the Missouri Valley Conference championship game win over Belmont. Young averaged 25.7 points in the tournament and earned MVP honors. She was 31-of-52 from the field in the tournament. Honorable Mention Season Recap JuJu Watkins of USC earned player of the week honors three times, the most of anyone this season. Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo, Florida State's Ta'Niya Latson and Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes all were honored twice. ___
CBS News
17-03-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Harvard Women's basketball makes NCAA Tournament for first time since 2007
The Harvard Women's basketball team in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007 after claiming the school's first-ever Ivy League Tournament championship over the weekend. The Crimson beat Columbia, 74-71, on Saturday to win the Ivy League Tournament for the first time in school history. Harmoni Turner led the way for Harvard with 24 points and captured tournament MVP honors, which capped off an incredible weekend for the Crimson's senior guard. In Harvard's semifinal win over Princeton on Friday, Turner scored 44 points to set new conference tournament and school records for most points in a game. Harvard will be dancing this March as a 10-seed in the Regional 1 bracket. The Crimson will face 7-seeded Michigan State at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, North Carolina at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. This marks Harvard's first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 18 years and the school's first under head coach Carrie Moore, who guided the Crimson to a 24-4 record in the regular season. Turner was Harvard's top player this year after averaging 22.5 points off 44 percent shooting from the floor. She surpassed 2,000 points for her career over the weekend to become just the third player in Harvard history to reach the milestone. The Crimson have a tough matchup against Michigan State, which went 21-9 and finished fifth in the Big Ten. But Harvard showed it could compete with some of the biggest programs in the nation early in the season, with wins over both Big Ten powerhouses Indiana (which was ranked No. 25 at the time) and Northwestern in November. "It gives us a little extra confidence in that, hey, we've been in this situation before against a Big Ten, power-five team," senior guard Elana Rodriguez told WBZ-TV's Steve Burton on Sunday. "I think we can do it one more time. As we always say, third time's the charm." Harvard closed the season with nine wins over its last 10 games, and will look to pull off a pretty big upset next weekend. The Crimson have the biggest upset in women's tournament history, as the 1998 team upset top-seeded Stanford as a 16-seed. Harvard made it to the round of 32 that season, which was the school's best performance in an NCAA Tournament. On the Men's side, be sure to join our national CBS Bracket Challenge for your chance at a $1,000 grand prize.
