The best university women’s basketball players in the country will be coming to Queen’s in 2021, as the university has been named the host of the U SPORTS Women’s Basketball National Championship.

“Hosting a national championship of this calibre is a wonderful opportunity to showcase Queen’s, our athletics program, and our outstanding student-athletes,” says Leslie Dal Cin, Executive Director, Queen’s Athletics & Recreation. “We look forward to welcoming teams from across the country to compete in what promises to be an exciting tournament.”

The championship will be held from Thursday, March 11 to Sunday, March 14, 2021. The Queen’s women’s basketball team will earn automatic entry into the tournament as hosts, though they are perennially among the best teams in the country, finishing fourth at the 2017 tournament hosted by the University of Victoria.

“For our players in first and second year, this is an opportunity to play at a national championship, which is a highlight for our student-athletes,” says Gaels head coach Dave Wilson. “From a team standpoint, this will certainly be a motivating factor, and will undoubtedly be beneficial for our recruiting over the next two years.”

Queen’s is no stranger to hosting national championships. The university was home to the men’s volleyball championship in 2012, the women’s rugby championship in 2015, and most recently, the women’s hockey championship in 2017.

The event, which features a partnership with Tourism Kingston, will also bring many visitors to the city, including family members, friends, and fans of the visiting teams. There will also be opportunities for local basketball players and coaches to learn from some of the best basketball minds in the country.

U SPORTS also announced that Ryerson University will host the 2019 tournament in Toronto, while Carleton University and the University of Ottawa will share hosting duties for the 2020 tournament in Ottawa.

For more information, visit the U SPORTS website.