U SPORTS today announced that Queen's will welcome the best university women's basketball players in the country in 2021, as the university hosts 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 take place Thursday, Mar. 11 – Sunday, Mar. 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 at the University of Victoria.

"Our entire team is thrilled to be hosting the U SPORTS national championship in 2021," says Dave Wilson, Head Coach, Women's Basketball.  "This will give our young players, and our recruits in 2018 through 2020 the opportunity to play the national championship on our home court in front of our incredibly supportive fans – what a fantastic and exciting opportunity."

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 unique 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.