Wuhan, China (September 19, 2026) – Canada’s 3×3 U23 women’s national team captured its first-ever FIBA 3×3 U23 World Cup medal Saturday, earning silver after falling 15-10 to the United States in the final.

Mary-Anna Asare was named to the Women’s Team of the Tournament after leading the competition with 47 points. She also ranked second in the tournament in player value at 53.8.

The United States opened the final with a 5-2 lead before Canada responded behind a pair of baskets from Cyanne Coe. Canada took a 9-7 lead midway through the game, but the Americans answered with a late run to reclaim the advantage and secure the gold medal.

Canada entered the tournament for the first time after qualifying through the FIBA 3×3 Youth Nations League in July. The Canadians entered the World Cup as the No. 18 seed but quickly established themselves as a contender.

Canada opened pool play with a 19-15 win over Czechia, led by Asare’s seven points on 75% shooting. Hailey Franco-DeRyck added six points and four rebounds while shooting 100% from the field.

The Canadians followed with dominant wins over Poland and Chinese Taipei, defeating Poland 22-13 before cruising to a 21-9 victory over Chinese Taipei. Canada closed out pool play with a narrow 14-13 loss to defending champion Netherlands, finishing second in Pool B.

In the quarterfinals, Canada faced Australia in a tightly contested matchup. Australia took an 8-4 lead early, but Canada battled back and took the lead with less than three minutes remaining. With Australia in the penalty and Canada in the bonus, Myriam Koné converted a late opportunity to help seal a 19-16 victory and send Canada to the semifinals.

Canada then cruised past Latvia 21-8 in the semifinals, with Coe and Koné each scoring seven points. Coe and Asare also combined for 15 rebounds as Canada advanced to its first 3×3 U23 World Cup final.

The silver medal marks Canada’s first-ever medal at the FIBA 3×3 U23 World Cup.

After the final, Franco-DeRyck reflected on the team’s journey from first-time 3×3 players to World Cup finalists.

“This journey has been a whirlwind of emotions. Having never played 3×3 before the Nations League, I didn’t know what to expect.”, said Franco-DeRyck. “To think that some of the teams we faced have played together for years, while we just came together in China and made it to the final, shows our resilience and our willingness to buy into each other.”

As for Asare, the historic run was made even more meaningful by the connections she built along the way.

“I’m just grateful I was paired up with a group that means so much to me. My teammates were always picking me up, and we had such an amazing staff.”

“It’s always an honour to represent your country.”, Asare continued. “It was obviously not the result we wanted, but we fought as a team, picked each other up when we were down, and came up with a medal. It means so much to write history for Canada.”

Franco-DeRyck led the tournament with a staggering 50 rebounds. Koné finished seventh in scoring with 32 points and seventh in player value at 43.0. Coe rounded out the group, placing 10th in scoring with 30 points and 10th in player value at 41.0, while ranking third in rebounds with 33.

DARKHAN (Mongolia) – Liman (SRB) captured the inaugural FIBA 3×3 Darkhan Challenger 2026 title after defeating DeQing (CHN) 21-14 in Sunday’s Final at the Darkhan United Arena.

Powered by tournament MVP Stefan Milivojevic, Liman capped a flawless weekend by winning all five of their games to lift their first Challenger trophy of the 2026 season. While the Serbian side had already collected two FIBA 3×3 World Tour 2026 titles this year, Darkhan marked another milestone as they added the Challenger win to their growing list of achievements.

Alongside champions Liman, Finalists DeQing and third-placed Toronto (CAN) secured qualification for the upcoming FIBA 3×3 World Tour TBC.

The Winner

Liman looked every bit the tournament favorite from the opening day, comfortably topping Pool A after victories over Sansar M Bank (MGL), 21-15, and Marijampole MANTINGA (LTU), 16-14. Their balanced attack and trademark defensive intensity carried over into the knockout rounds, where they eliminated qualifier Liberec (CZE), 19-13, before producing one of the performances of the tournament in a commanding 22-12 Semi-Final victory over Cibona Ph.Classic (CRO).

The Serbian powerhouse completed the job in the championship game, once again showcasing why they have been among the most consistent teams on the Pro Circuit this season.

Milivojevic led the way throughout the tournament, earning MVP honors after finishing with a tournament-best 40.5 player value, while adding 31 points and 10 two-pointers. He was ably supported by Nemanja Zigon, who finished as the tournament’s leading scorer with 33 points, including back-to-back standout performances on Day 2.

The Runner-up

DeQing (CHN) enjoyed an outstanding run to the Final after recovering from an opening-day defeat to Vienna. The Chinese side responded with victories over Zavkhan (MGL) to reach the Quarter-Finals before producing arguably the biggest upset of the tournament by knocking out home favorites Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy (MGL), 21-19, in a dramatic finish.

They continued their impressive form in the Semi-Finals, edging Toronto, 18-17, in another thriller. Guo Hanyu delivered three clutch two-pointers, while Zhang Dianliang controlled both ends of the floor as DeQing held off a late Toronto comeback to reach the championship game.

The Final

The titular game began as a defensive battle, with DeQing holding a narrow 3-2 advantage during the opening exchanges. Liman gradually settled into rhythm and moved ahead 8-7 midway through the contest before beginning to dictate the tempo.

A relentless defensive effort fueled the decisive run as Liman turned stops into easy baskets to open a 17-12 advantage with less than two minutes remaining. Milivojevic then buried a trademark two-pointer to extend the lead to seven, before Zigon sealed the win as Liman closed out a convincing 21-14 outcome.

The Reward

The tournament’s top three finishers booked their places at the FIBA 3×3 World Tour TBC 2026 in November.

Champions Liman will be joined by DeQing and Toronto, who all produced outstanding weekends to secure their places on the sport’s biggest stage.

Final Standings:

1. Liman (SRB) – qualified to WT TBC
2. DeQing (CHN) – qualified to WT TBC
3. Toronto (CAN) – qualified to WT TBC
4. Cibona Ph.Classic (CRO)
5. Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy (MGL)

Top Scorers:

1. Nemanja Zigon (Liman) – 33 pts
2. Stefan Milivojevic (Liman) – 31 pts
3. Dianliang Zhang (DeQing) – 30 pts
4. Hanyu Guo (DeQing) – 30 pts
5. Westher Molteni (Toronto) – 29 pts

What’s Next

The inaugural FIBA 3×3 Darkhan Challenger lived up to expectations with two days of high-quality 3×3 action. Liman added another stop win to their outstanding 2026 campaign. DeQing enjoyed a solid weekend by reaching the Final. Toronto rounded out the podium to secure another FIBA 3×3 World Tour qualification spot.

With another Challenger title decided, Liman, DeQing and Toronto now turn their attention to the FIBA 3×3 World Tour TBC later this year. Meanwhile, the Challenger circuit continues next weekend with stops in Uenohara (Japan) and FISE Birmingham (USA) on August 8-9, where another group of contenders will battle for coveted World Tour qualification.

Stay Connected

Follow all the latest action from the FIBA 3×3 World Tour throughout the 2026 season by visiting the official World Tour website, where you can find the latest news, team standings, player statistics and everything you need to follow the Race to the Final. 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

ATHENS (Greece) – The first-ever FIBA 3×3 Athens Challenger 2026 belonged to Ub (SRB), who capped another dominant weekend on the Pro Circuit with an 18-15 victory over Amsterdam RABOBANK (NED) in the Final at the iconic Panathenaic Stadium.

Powered once again by Strahinja Stojacic and a balanced supporting cast led by Nenad Nerandžić, the Serbian powerhouse claimed their third FIBA 3×3 Challenger title of the 2026 season. Ub, runners-up Amsterdam RABOBANK and third-placed Fuengirola (ESP) all secured qualification for the FIBA 3×3 World Tour TBC 2026 stop.

The Winner

Ub once again showed why they remain one of the benchmarks on the FIBA 3×3 Pro Circuit. The Serbian giants stormed through pool play with convincing victories over Rio (BRA), 21-9, and Warsaw (POL), 21-14, with Stojacic leading from the front in both contests.

Their momentum continued in the knockout rounds. Stojacic poured in eight points as Ub defeated Kandava Turība (LTU) 19-13 in the Quarter-Finals before Nerandžić produced one of the performances of the tournament in the Semi-Finals. The sharpshooting big man erupted for 11 points on 7-of-8 shooting, including two perfect shots from beyond the arc, to power Ub past Fuengirola 21-13.

The Final proved to be another showcase of Ub’s championship composure. After building an early six-point advantage, they withstood a determined Amsterdam comeback before Marko Branković buried the decisive two-pointer with under 20 seconds remaining to seal the victory.

Tournament MVP Stojacic once again demonstrated why he remains one of the game’s biggest stars. He led the tournament in player value (44.2), points (34), highlights (26), free throws made (9) and drives (13), while also ranking third in assists with 10.

The Runner-up

Amsterdam RABOBANK once again showed why they remain among the world’s elite teams. They navigated pool play with wins over Kandava Turība and London (GBR), before cruising past Rio 21-10 in the Quarter-Finals behind an all-around effort from Adriaan Van Tilborg.

The Dutch side then ended the Cinderella run of Akademija VDU (LTU) in emphatic fashion. Bryan Alberts caught fire with four two-pointers on his way to 11 points as Amsterdam rolled to a 21-11 Semi-Final victory.

Although they fell just short in the championship game, Amsterdam once again displayed their trademark depth and teamwork to secure another World Tour qualification.

The Final

This game lived up to expectations as two of the Pro Circuit’s premier teams traded blows from the opening possession.

Deadlocked at 5-5 early, Ub seized control with a decisive 7-1 run to open a 12-6 advantage midway through the contest. Amsterdam refused to go away, with Alberts knocking down a huge two-pointer to cut the deficit to 13-12.

Nerandžić responded with three straight points to restore breathing room at 16-13, but Amsterdam mounted one Final push to trim the margin to a single point late in regulation.

With the pressure mounting, Branković delivered the dagger, drilling a clutch two-pointer with less than 20 seconds remaining to secure an 18-15 victory and another Challenger crown for Ub.

The Reward

By reaching the podium, Ub, Amsterdam RABOBANK and Fuengirola all secured qualification for the FIBA 3×3 World Tour TBC stop, continuing their chase for WT wins on the sport’s biggest professional stage.

Final Standings:

1. Ub (SRB) – qualified to WT TBC
2. Amsterdam RABOBANK (NED) – qualified to WT TBC
3. Fuengirola (ESP) – qualified to WT TBC
4. Akademija VDU (LTU)
5. Miami (USA)

Top Scorers:

1. Strahinja Stojacic (Ub) – 34 pts
2. Nenad Nerandžić (Ub) – 34 pts
3. Bryan Alberts (Amsterdam RABOBANK) – 31 pts
4. Paulius Velutis (Akademija VDU) – 28 pts
5. Jose Blázquez (Fuengirola) – 27 pts

What’s Next

The inaugural FIBA 3×3 Athens Challenger delivered no shortage of memorable storylines. Ub captured the historic first title behind another MVP performance from Stojacic, while teammate Nenad Nerandžić matched him with a tournament-high 34 points to underline the Serbian side’s balanced attack. Akademija VDU emerged as the surprise package of the weekend, stunning fourth seeds Toulouse in pool play before eliminating Miami to reach the Semi-Finals. Meanwhile, Fuengirola also did well to secure a third-place finish and a coveted World Tour qualification, joining champions Ub and runners-up Amsterdam RABOBANK.

After another weekend filled with upsets, clutch moments and standout individual performances, the Challenger season now moves on to Uenohara (Japan) and FISE Birmingham (USA) on August 8-9 as teams continue their pursuit of FIBA 3×3 World Tour success.

Stay Connected

Follow all the latest action from the FIBA 3×3 World Tour throughout the 2026 season by visiting the official World Tour website, where you can find the latest news, team standings, player statistics and everything you need to follow the Race to the Final. 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