ANTWERP (Belgium) – Noortje Driessen of the Netherlands capped a dominant FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup Crelan 2026 campaign by being named the Most Valuable Player after leading the Dutch women to back-to-back European titles.

Driessen was the driving force behind the Netherlands’ successful title defense, leading the entire tournament in both scoring and player value as the Dutch once again claimed continental supremacy.

The Netherlands star finished with a tournament-best 44 points and 50.7 player value, while also topping the competition in highlights (19), free throws made (11) and drives (16).

Her all-around dominance proved crucial as the Netherlands navigated the pressure of defending their FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup 2025 crown and ultimately returned to the top of preoverbial the European podium.

Driessen’s consistency and ability to create in a variety of ways made her one of the defining players of the tournament, with her performances providing the spark the Dutch needed throughout their run.

After completing the title defense, Driessen credited the team’s collective work and chemistry for their success.

“We had a really good summer. Last year, we won the gold medal, and I think that’s just our main goal for this tournament because we know what we can do,” Driessen said. “We practice so much together. We all have our own role. Every player on this team is so talented. With the hard work we put in, it’s going pretty good.”

Driessen was joined in the Women’s Team of the Tournament by Spain’s Txell Alarcón and Azerbaijan’s Brianna Fraser, who played key roles in guiding their nations to podium finishes.

For Driessen, the MVP honor provides the perfect individual recognition for a tournament in which she combined elite production with the ultimate team achievement: another Europe Cup gold medal.

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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ANTWERP (Belgium) — The Netherlands are not here simply to defend their FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup crown. They are here to finish the season on top. The reigning champions took another step toward that goal on Day 2 in Antwerp for the FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup Crelan 2026, overcoming Azerbaijan and Ukraine to advance from Pool A, with Noortje Driessen once again at the heart of their campaign. For the reigning Europe Cup MVP, the formula has been straightforward: bring the physicality, find the rhythm and make every possession count.

The opening test against Azerbaijan was never expected to be simple. The two teams know each other well, with the Netherlands having beaten Azerbaijan in last year’s Europe Cup Final, and Driessen knew the danger the reigning runners-up posed.

“They have a lot of talented players who can make an impact individually,” Driessen said. “We knew we had to be ready from the very start.”

That focus was evident from the opening possession. The Netherlands made physicality a priority and, once their shooting found its range, began to pull away.

“At some point, we started finding our rhythm from beyond the arc and knocking down our two-pointers, which helped us create separation,” Driessen explained.

It was the kind of performance the Dutch will need as the pressure rises. Driessen herself hogged the spotlight with an historic performance against Azerbaijan, putting up 13 points. That tied the single-game record for most points scored by a women’s player in FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup history.

Every game in Pool A carried knockout round consequences, and Ukraine provided another physical challenge in the Netherlands’ final pool game. Driessen knows there are no easy routes at this stage of the competition.

“The stakes are high and there’s a lot of pressure,” she said. “We know we’ll have to earn every result, but we’re confident in our ability to get out of the group and advance to the next stage.”

That confidence is hardly surprising. The Netherlands arrived in Antwerp as defending European champions and one of the most established teams in women’s 3×3 basketball. Driessen, Janis Boonstra, Ilse Kuijt and Evelien Lutje Schipholt have already shared some of the biggest stages in the discipline, and their chemistry remains one of their biggest assets.

However, there is also a sense of occasion. After a long season together, the FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup represents the final chance to add another banner to the collection, especially after the disappointment of the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series Project Redwings Shanghai Final 2026 just a week ago.

“We want to enjoy the final tournament of the season because we’ve had a really good year together,” Driessen said.

Enjoyment, however, does not mean lowering the standards.

“Our goal is to fight for a medal, and we’ll do everything we can to achieve that. We want to finish the season on a high note,” she declared.

The Netherlands have now done their part in the pool phase. The real pressure begins on Sunday.

And if Driessen has her way, the defending champions will still be standing when the medals are decided.

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.

FIBA

The advantage the Dutch built early 

The Netherlands’ success in 3×3 did not begin with Olympic gold in Paris.

The men were already World Cup runners-up in 2017 and 2018, and won Europe Cup bronze in 2016 and 2022. As mentioned above, the women are two-time Europe Cup winners (2023, 2025), World Cup champions in 2025 and bronze medallists in 2026.

So how did a nation traditionally associated with football, hockey, and winter sports build such a formidable 3×3 program?

For Jan, the explanation is fairly simple: the Netherlands committed early.

“Of course, in 5×5 we were never a top team, and we managed to do it in 3×3,” he says. “We started really early with investing in 3×3. We saw the potential as a country. We had some players who really did everything for basketball — we had the first players who went full-time, when [professional 3×3] wasn’t a thing. Back in the day everyone played 5×5, and in the summer they did 3×3. We had guys who went professional as one of the first, and then you build an advantage. You gain [tactical] advantages over your opponents.

“And I think we kept that. There’s a really big structure, a professional organisation with good coaches, strength and conditioning coaches — everything is there. If you believe in something, and you spend time on it, you spend money on it, then you can achieve World Championships and Olympic championships.”