Daily News | Three Villanova stars hit the big stage, representing U.S. in 3x3 basketball
Maddy Siegrist is playing for the 3x3 U23 Women’s Nations League team in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. With her, from left, are Maddy Westbeld, Kayla Wells, and Alyssa Ustby.Villanova forward Maddy Siegrist felt like she was a freshman in high school during her tryout for the U.S. women’s 23-and-under 3x3 basketball team, dealing with nerves and anxiety that came with competing against other college stars.
After Villanova’s summer session, Siegrist flew to Miami, where she spent three days participating in tryouts. She was among six college stars selected to the 3x3 team. This is the first time Siegrist has competed on the international level, while Dixon and Arcidiacono played on the U23 national team last summer in France. They finished with a 4-2 record in the 2021 Nations League, and were invited back by USA Basketball to compete on the 2022 3x3 team.
Arcidiacono, a senior guard, said the competition on the international level is played physically, especially in a three-on-three setting, with more intensity on defense. The three Wildcats players are soaking in the experiences that come with being in another country — the architecture, the different foods, and everyone speaking Spanish.
“It’s definitely different,” Dixon said. “All those three [Wright, Gillespie and Samuels] have taught us so much that we’ll be able to fill the void.”