Harry How/Getty Images

The United States National Women's Hockey Team announced Wednesday that it will boycott the 2017 IIHF Women's World Championship unless USA Hockey meets its wage and support demands.

USA forward Amanda Kessel tweeted the following statement regarding the decision:

The IIHF Women's World Championship is set to begin March 31 in Plymouth, Michigan.

According to espnW.com, USA captain Meghan Duggan believes USA Hockey has treated the women's team unfairly: "We are asking for a living wage and for USA Hockey to fully support its programs for women and girls and stop treating us like an afterthought. We have represented our country with dignity and deserve to be treated with fairness and respect."

The players said USA Hockey pays them "virtually nothing" aside from the $1,000 per month they receive during the six-month Olympic residency period, per espnW.com.

Team USA defenseman Monique Lamoureux-Morando further explained the rationale behind sitting out the World Championship if things don't change:

It's hard to believe that, in 2017, we still have to fight so hard for basic equitable support. But when I think about the women who paved the way for our team—and when I see girls at rinks around the country who are dedicated to pursuing big dreams and look to us to lead by example—it's well overdue for us to speak up about unfair treatment, even if it means sacrificing an opportunity to represent our country. We owe the next generation more than that. We owe it to ourselves to stand up for what is right.

Video Play Button Videos you might like

The United States is tied with Canada for the most medals in IIHF World Championship history with 17. It has won gold seven of the past nine times the event has been held.

The American women have also medaled each of the five times women's hockey has been contested in the Winter Olympics, including winning gold in 1998.

Should Team USA follow through on the boycott, Canada will be the heavy favorite to take IIHF World Championship gold.