U.S. women reclaim FIBA 3×3 World Cup title on LSU star’s game winner

LSU star Mikaylah Williams hit the game winner with 28 seconds left as the U.S. women reclaimed the world title in 3×3 basketball, 21-20 over longtime 5×5 rival Australia, on Sunday.

Williams, a rising LSU senior, was MVP of the FIBA 3×3 World Cup in Warsaw, Poland, where the Americans went undefeated for the first time since 2014 and earned their fourth world title.

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The U.S. quartet in Warsaw also included fellow LSU star MiLaysia Fulwiley (team-leading nine points in the final), South Carolina leading scorer Joyce Edwards and rising Oklahoma senior Sahara Williams.

The first FIBA 3×3 World Cup was in 2012, and the event made its Olympic debut in 2021. The U.S. won the first Olympic title in Tokyo, then took bronze in Paris.

At the 2025 FIBA 3×3 World Cup, a U.S. quartet that also included Mikaylah Williams and Sahara Williams lost in the quarterfinals to host Mongolia.

Another 3×3 World Cup is scheduled for 2027 in Singapore.

For the 2024 Paris Games, the original U.S. women’s 3×3 roster of four players included three from the team that won the 2023 World Cup: Cameron Brink, Cierra Burdick and Hailey Van Lith. Burdick and Van Lith were also on the 2022 World Cup team.

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Brink later tore an ACL before the Games and was replaced by Dearica Hamby for Paris.

Since Paris, 2016 Olympic gold medalist Elena Delle Donne was named the first USA Basketball women’s 3×3 national team managing director, tasked with forming teams for major championships.

Also in Warsaw, the U.S. men lost in the quarterfinals to France 14-11. The team was made up of 2024 Olympian Dylan Travis, plus Henry Caruso, Mitch Hahn and James Parrott.

Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Latvia won its first men’s 3×3 World Cup title.