DAKAR (Senegal) – The Youth Olympic Games are about more than medals. For many young athletes, they offer an early opportunity to compete internationally, test themselves against the world’s best prospects and take their first steps toward bigger stages. In 3×3 basketball, that pathway has already featured several players who would go on to make their mark in the professional game and at the Olympic Games.
Since making its Youth Olympic Games debut at Singapore 2010, 3×3 basketball has provided a platform for emerging talent from across the world. The editions in Singapore, Nanjing 2014 and Buenos Aires 2018 featured players who would later become familiar names to basketball fans – from WNBA champions to established figures on the FIBA 3×3 circuit.
Buenos Aires 2018: A glimpse of the WNBA’s future
Perhaps the most recognizable group of YOG alumni came from the United States women’s team that won gold at Buenos Aires 2018.
That squad featured Paige Bueckers and Aliyah Boston, both of whom would go on to become No. 1 overall picks in the WNBA Draft and win Rookie of the Year honors. Their performances in Argentina offered an early glimpse of the talent that would eventually make them two of the most recognizable young players in the women’s game.
Boston led the 2018 YOG women’s scoring charts with 46 points in seven games, while Bueckers finished fourth with 36. They were joined by Hailey Van Lith, who contributed 28 points across the tournament.
Van Lith would later add another major milestone to her 3×3 journey, winning bronze with the United States at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Her path from the Youth Olympic Games to the Olympic podium offers a particularly direct example of how the competition can help introduce young players to the international 3×3 stage.
The Netherlands also had a future international standout in Buenos Aires: Evelien Lutje Schipholt. Her team finished eighth in the 2018 girls’ tournament, but that was only an early chapter in her 3×3 basketball career. Lutje Schipholt went on to win the FIBA 3×3 World Cup 2025 with the Netherlands before adding the FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup 2026 title. She had already earned a bronze medal at the FIBA 3×3 U18 Europe Cup in 2017, underlining her progression through the national-team pathway.
Her journey from the YOG courts in Buenos Aires to the top of the senior international game is another reminder that a player’s finish at the Youth Olympic Games does not define what comes next.
Nanjing 2014: Future WNBA stars and international 3×3 talent
Four years earlier, the Nanjing 2014 edition had already showcased several players who would go on to enjoy successful basketball careers.
Napheesa Collier led the women’s scoring charts with an impressive 113 points in 13 games. She would later establish herself as one of the leading players in the WNBA. Her United States teammate Arike Ogunbowale also made an impact, finishing fourth with 85 points.
The men’s competition featured another name with a particularly strong connection to the future of 3×3 basketball: Lucas Dussoulier of France.
Dussoulier scored 64 points in 13 games, placing him among the tournament’s top 10 scorers. He would subsequently establish himself as part of France’s senior international 3×3 setup, making him one of the clearest examples of a YOG participant who continued along the international 3×3 pathway.
Singapore 2010: Early steps toward long careers
The inaugural YOG 3×3 basketball competition in Singapore also featured players whose journeys would extend well beyond their teenage years.
One of them was Lithuania’s Marijus Uzupis, who has built a particularly long and varied career in the FIBA 3×3 Pro Circuit. His international career stretches from his appearance at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games to the modern FIBA 3×3 World Tour and Challenger circuit. Uzupis has also represented Lithuania in multiple editions of the FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup, including the 2019, 2023, 2024 and 2025 tournaments.
That longevity makes Uzupis an especially interesting YOG alumnus. More than a decade and a half after his first taste of international 3×3 basketball in Singapore, he remains part of the sport’s competitive landscape and serves as a reminder that a player’s journey does not end with the final buzzer of a youth tournament.
Another notable name from Singapore 2010 is Kiah Stokes of the United States. Stokes went on to build an accomplished career, starring at the University of Connecticut before being selected 11th overall by the New York Liberty in the 2015 WNBA Draft.
She has since become a four-time WNBA champion, winning three titles with the Las Vegas Aces in 2022, 2023 and 2025 before adding another with the Golden State Valkyries in 2026. Stokes also won the 2023 EuroLeague Women title with Fenerbahçe and has earned recognition as one of the league’s defensive contributors.
Her latest championship came in particularly memorable fashion. Stokes started all 13 of Golden State’s games in the 2026 WNBA Playoffs, averaging 10.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game during the postseason, according to her player profile.
From competing in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games to becoming a four-time WNBA champion, Stokes’ journey is another example of the different paths that can emerge from an early international basketball experience.
Launchpad for the next generation
The stories of Bueckers, Boston, Van Lith, Collier, Ogunbowale, Dussoulier, Uzupis and Stokes underline the value of the Youth Olympic Games as a development platform. Their journeys have taken different directions, from the WNBA to the Olympic 3×3 basketball podium and the international professional circuit, but all began with an opportunity to represent their countries at a major youth competition.
The next edition in Dakar, Senegal, will bring together 24 national teams from November 6-9, with 12 teams competing in each of the boys’ and girls’ tournaments.
For the young players taking the court at the Tour de l’Œuf Complex, the immediate goal will be to compete for Youth Olympic medals. But the tournament could also be the beginning of much bigger journeys.
Dakar 2026 will have its own champions and standout performers. And, as previous editions have shown, some of the names who make an impression this November could eventually be seen on the biggest stages in basketball.
Stay Connected
Follow all the latest action from the FIBA 3×3 Cups tournaments throughout the 2026 season by visiting the official FIBA 3×3 website, where you can find the latest news, star players and everything you need to know. Fans can also keep track of the Event Calendar and the latest FIBA 3×3 Individual and Federation Rankings as teams and players continue their push toward the season finale.
Want to learn more about 3×3 basketball? Explore the official FIBA 3×3 Rules to understand the unique fast-paced format of the game, or discover the FIBA 3×3 Competition Structure to see how the discipline’s global pathway connects grassroots events, professional tours and world-class international competitions.
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