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As Team USA goes for gold in 3×3 basketball, a movement to grow the game takes off

Allisha Gray, Stefanie Dolson and Kelsey Plum (along with newcomer Jackie Young) will represent the U.S. in the first-ever 3×3 event at the Olympics. (Guo Chen/Xinhua via Getty Images)

It used to conjure up images of kids in homemade jerseys, outdoor courts with the sun beating down on hot pavement, and players past their prime with sore knees and creaking joints not capable of running full court.

Maybe it was something you did to fill a weekend or to help stay in shape for 5-on-5. Or maybe, you took your kids to a tournament, in hopes of tiring them out on a summer day.

Years ago, it was always an offshoot, never the main event. But that is no longer true.

Whatever your notions of 3-on-3 basketball are, get rid of them.

This isn’t your mother’s 3-on-3.

The sport is sleeker, more exciting and more well-known. It also has a different name. At the professional and Olympic levels, this type of basketball is referred to as “3×3” or, if you’re really in on the lingo, just “3x.”

Whatever you call it, this brand of basketball is on the rise. And with the United States women’s 3×3 team set to take Tokyo in pursuit of a gold medal, the momentum has only begun.

Of course, those notions of what 3-on-3 basketball is didn’t come out of nowhere, and neither did 3×3.

The world of 3-on-3 serves as a foundation for the more elite, streamlined version of the game. But while the sport has evolved into something bigger, the roots are still there, growing in their own ways.

Take Spokane, Wash., for example. It’s home to over 200,000 people, Gonzaga University and, every summer, the world’s largest 3-on-3 tournament.

For the last 31 years, downtown Spokane has closed streets and set up outdoor courts so that upwards of 20,000 people can play 3-on-3 basketball.

Executive Director, and former Gonzaga basketball player, Matt Santangelo has been in charge of Hoopfest for the last seven years. The tournament is loosely based on the Gus Macker model in the Midwest, which was founded by Scott McNeal in his parents’ driveway in Lowell, Mich.

When Hoopfest began, the goal was to bring the tradition of 3-on-3 to Washington.

And while the tournament has required meaningful dedication and resources from the Hoopfest staff, the organizers aren’t surprised that one of Spokane’s biggest money-making events is based around 3-on-3.

“I think it just makes the sport so much more accessible, for lack of a better term,” Santangelo said. “Just the nature of 3-on-3, it is a great way to learn the game.

“There are so many different levels to play at. You might be playing at the Olympic level, you might be playing at the professional level, you might be playing at the event, recreational level. The access to the sport makes it so special.”

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An aerial view of Hoopfest, home to the largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament. (Hoopfest)

Hoopfest has been going strong for three decades. Santangelo and his crew have managed to walk the line between traditional 3-on-3 basketball and the changing landscape of the game.

At the Olympic and professional levels, the game is played according to FIBA rules: with a 12-second shot clock, the first team to score 21 points wins; if neither team gets to 21, the game ends at the 10-minute mark, and the team with the most points is crowned the winner. Baskets count as one or two points, and players must clear the ball to the 3-point line on possession changes.

When Kelsey Plum, Stefanie Dolson, Allisha Gray and Jackie Young — who replaced Katie Lou Samuelson after the latter tested positive for COVID-19 — take the court against France on Saturday, they will be following those rules.

That leads to a fan-friendly, high-intensity brand of basketball.

“I think we are going to introduce people around the world to a new sport that they are going to really like,” Plum said in a press conference after Team USA was announced. “It’s very fun to watch. Very entertaining, very fast-paced, high intensity, very physical.”

At Hoopfest, the rules are a bit different. The games are 25 minutes long and played to 20 points.

Anyone can play: men, women, kids, casual athletes and former pros. And the style of play changes based on who is participating.

“People have taken the 3-on-3 model and put different fingerprints on it and shaped it a little differently,” Santangelo said. “There are different offerings, and I think that is great. There’s not just one way to play basketball, and we get to continue to make this game more accessible.”

Claire Soulek is 10 years removed from her basketball career at Gonzaga University. Back then she was Claire Raap, and a part of the Gonzaga women’s team that made the program’s first (and only) Elite Eight run in 2011 during her senior year.

These days, she doesn’t have much time for basketball between teaching cooking, sewing, health and the occasional P.E. class to middle schoolers in Spokane and caring for her 5-month-old daughter, Kinsley. But she carves some out anyway to volunteer at Hoopfest. It’s a chance to stay connected to the game and the community where she played.

At Gonzaga, Soulek was blessed with a dedicated fan base that, she notes, not every women’s team had, especially a decade ago.

The best part, she said, was the smiling faces of little girls lining up for autographs and photographs after the games.

When they looked at Soulek, they saw their dreams playing out in front of them. And to Soulek, that is the beauty of 3×3. It’s simply another outlet for girls to learn about the game, and to be inspired to pursue basketball.

“The fact that 3-on-3 has gone from grassroots to now the Olympics, you never know what little girl is watching and is going to be like, ‘This is my sport. This is what I love. And you know what? I’m going to work hard to improve my skills and be good at it,’” Soulek said. “It just provides another opportunity for them to go further in the sport of basketball.”

Opportunities are still limited. Both Soulek and Santangelo know that.

Santangelo spent six years playing professional basketball overseas. The gap between players like him and players in the NBA is smaller than you might think.

“The degree of separation between number 6 on an NBA roster and number 10 million is really, really small,” he said. “One through five, those players are really special. And six through 10 million, they are special, too, but they can’t go to the Olympics, or maybe they can’t get paid to play basketball.”

Now, apply that same line of thinking to the WNBA. There are 30 NBA teams and 29 G-League teams. There are just 12 WNBA teams, and a total of 144 roster spots.

All it takes is a quick scan of WNBA headlines to see how many top-caliber players are cut from teams every day. Just this season, Shyla Heal, the No. 8 overall draft pick, was traded and waived.

It’s simple: Within the current landscape of women’s professional basketball, there is more talent than there are roster spots.

That’s one of the first things Alanna McDonald thought of when she was watching the 2017 FIBA 3×3 World Cup in France. Since its debut in 2010 at the Summer Youth Olympics, 3×3 has gained popularity around the world, but the United States wasn’t following the same trajectory.

McDonald isn’t a basketball player. She played volleyball at Brown and professionally overseas. Maybe that’s why she was able to recognize the potential for 3×3 that others missed: She saw it through a volleyball lens, likening it to indoor volleyball and beach volleyball. The two sports coexist at a high level and offer more opportunities for athletes to pursue the sport.

“There is so much talent,” McDonald said. “We want to make sure there are more paid opportunities for women. We want there to be expansion here in the U.S. for these super talented women.”

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With 3x3 basketball now in the Olympics, young girls have another sport to aspire to. (Hoopfest)

So, McDonald started researching. She talked to USA Basketball and FIBA. She watched countless 3×3 games and investigated how it would fit into the landscape of women’s basketball in the United States.

Then, she took her idea to Seattle Storm president Alisha Valavanis. The two are connected through Force 10 Sport Management, but when McDonald approached Valavanis at an event, it was essentially an elevator pitch.

Valavanis saw what McDonald had seen, and suddenly McDonald was in board meetings turning her concept into reality.

“We recognized there was already a gap between the opportunities for men and women, and 3×3 is a great game,” Valavanis said. “We wanted to get in on the ground floor and see if we could get it moving on the women’s side.”

In 2019, Force 10 launched the country’s first professional 3×3 women’s basketball team, with the purpose of creating a pipeline and supporting USA Basketball’s mission to qualify for the Olympics. Today, there are four professional women’s 3×3 teams in the United States, sponsored by the Storm and the Chicago Sky.

McDonald hopes that, eventually, every WNBA team will also have a 3×3 team, and she expects the sport to continue to grow at a rapid pace.

“As soon as the Olympics hit, I think there is going to be a lot of interest, a lot of hype,” she said. “That momentum is something we are expecting to sort of take off, because everyone watches the Olympics, and I think fans are really going to love it.”

That’s how movements like this get started. A casual spectator becomes a fan, and then becomes a champion of the sport. Or a little girl sees her heroes playing on TV and develops a life-long passion.

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Allisha Gray and Team USA trained in Las Vegas before leaving for Tokyo. (USA Basketball)

That’s what happened to Stefanie Dolson when she watched the Olympic opening ceremonies as a kid.

“I remember they had, like, these funny caps on,” she said. “And it just looked like an amazing opportunity. And that really sparked my interest.”

Now, Dolson and the rest of the USA 3×3 team will be that inspiration for someone else.

The sport of 3-on-3 basketball is going through an incredible shift. From grassroots to gold medals, the different branches of the game continue to influence each other.

In Soulek’s middle school P.E. class, there is an entire unit devoted to 3-on-3 basketball. No doubt the popularity of the sport at a global and professional level is trickling back down to kids. But if you think about it, it’s not a true trickle-down effect, but rather a full-circle moment.

Because let’s not forget where this all began. In driveways, with kids and their friends, a hoop and a ball.

Gotham FC Signs Record-Breaking Sponsorship Deal with Dove

Emily Sonnett shows off the new Dove sponsorship above her last name on her Gotham jersey.
Dove's partnership with Gotham is the brand's first major investment in a women's sports team. (Gotham FC)

Gotham and Dove are teaming up, with the 2023 NWSL champs signing a record-setting multi-year kit partnership with the beauty brand on Thursday.

As Dove's first major investment in a women's sports team, the move also ranks as the highest-ever back-of-jersey sponsorship deal in NWSL history.

While Gotham did not provide specific numbers, the contract surpasses Bay FC's then-record $500,000 deal with private equity giant Sixth Street.

Dove joins Gotham in fight to keep girls in sports

The partnership is a part of Gotham's "Keep Her in the Game" initiative, a community effort launched last August to help adolescent girls stay in sports. Dove will serve as the program's presenting sponsor.

"Dove is the ultimate leader in female strength and empowerment, and we could not be prouder to partner with the brand in a number of impactful ways," Gotham FC chief business officer Ryan Dillon said in the team's release. "We are excited to team up with Dove to create key pathways for young female athletes to stay in sports, develop confidence, and become strong future leaders."

"The partnership is taking effect at a crucial time when supporting girls in sports has never been more important."

With girls twice as likely as boys to abandon sports by age 14, "Keep Her in the Game" aims to bolster young athletes' resilience and amplify the joy and connection that happens on and off the playing field.

After impacting 30 local New Jersey and New York youth clubs and more than 500 players in 2024, the initiative is aiming to double its reach in 2025. It will also pass the proverbial mic to the young athletes themselves by creating a Youth Leadership Council.

"The data is clear: Sports build confidence, leadership skills and resilience in young women, benefiting them for years to come," stated Laura DiMiceli, the head of personal care sports marketing for Dove's parent company, Unilever North America. "Dove is committed to supporting 'Keep Her in the Game' as part of our overall mission to help young girls pursue sports and keep playing the games they love."

Unrivaled to Crown First-Ever 1v1 Tournament Champion

Lunar Owls forward Napheesa Collier dribbles the ball during an Unrivaled game.
Napheesa Collier is one of four Unrivaled players competing for the 1v1 tournament's $200,000 prize. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball will crown its first-ever 1v1 tournament champion on Friday night, when all four semifinalists take the court with a $200,000 grand prize on the line.

Vinyl guard Arike Ogunbowale will kick off the semis against Mist forward Aaliyah Edwards, before Unrivaled co-founder and Lunar Owls forward Napheesa Collier faces Rose forward Azurá Stevens. The victors will immediately advance to the night's best-of-three final series.

Notably, Friday's set puts alma mater pride on center court. A trio of UConn alums in Collier, Stevens, and Edwards will all clock in, while Ogunbowale reps Notre Dame — one of just three teams to beat the Huskies this NCAA season.

Along with those priceless bragging rights, the semifinalists are battling for a six-figure payday, though none will leave empty-handed. Each are guaranteed at least $25,000, with $50,000 on deck for the tournament's runner-up.

The players' Unrivaled teammates will also be watching with interest, as the winner's entire 3×3 team will snag $10,000 each.

Though 1v1 can feel like a schoolyard version of basketball, with this much money involved, expect the competition to rise miles above playground tussles.

Rose BC's Angel Reese defends Mist forward Aaliyah Edwards during an Unrivaled game.
Aaliyah Edwards is one of three UConn alums in the Unrivaled 1v1 semifinals. (Rich Storry/Getty Images)

Endurance could decide Unrivaled 1v1 tournament champion

Friday's format is in part a test of stamina, as players stare down a grueling schedule where the eventual winner must play either three or four 1v1 games in a single night.

To that end, Collier's elite conditioning could make her the favorite, if she can outlast Stevens in the pair's semifinal.

"Her motor is unmatched," Stevens said of Collier's endurance, a key factor in her success so far. "I try to conserve some energy in between possessions, especially when the games get really tiring."

Motors aside, Friday's title will boil down to fundamentals — and which athlete best leverages their personal skillset.

"I have to use my size and stick to my strengths," said Edwards. "It’s about imposing my will and getting the job done."

How to watch the Unrivaled 1v1 tournament finals

The inaugural Unrivaled 1v1 tournament concludes on Friday. Live coverage begins at 7:30 PM ET on TNT.

USC Beats UCLA as JuJu Watkins Ends Bruins’ Undefeated NCAA Season

USC's JuJu Watkins drives to the basket between UCLA's Janiah Barker and Elina Aarnisalo.
Watkins scored 38 points to hand UCLA their first loss of the season. (Robert Hanashiro/Imagn Images)

The last perfect DI basketball season has officially fallen, as USC phenom JuJu Watkins put up a historic performance to lead the No. 6 Trojans to a 71-60 win over then-undefeated No. 1 UCLA on Thursday.

Watkins finished the night with 38 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and eight blocks, becoming the first DI player to register an overall stat-line so robust in 20 years.

"It took everything. It's been a rough couple weeks for me," Watkins said after the game, referencing uncharacteristic performances leading up to Thursday's rivalry matchup. "To be able to kind of snap back into it and get into my rhythm here at Galen versus UCLA, it's really all I could ask for."

"I'm really just like a kid out there and living out my dream."

Throughout the back-and-forth battle, Watkins's consistency made all the difference. She scored every one of USC's 14 second-quarter points, and helped lead a monster fourth quarter in which the Trojans slammed the door by outscoring the Bruins 24-8.

"I didn't teach JuJu any of that," commented USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb after the game. "[I] just try to put her in situations to be her best self, and she does most of that work. What I was so impressed with tonight, obviously, was just the mentality she came out with."

With the marquee win, USC now sits firmly atop the Big Ten. That said, UCLA will have a chance to avenge the loss in the pair's March 1st rematch, when that final regular-season game could decide the conference title.

Until then, the Trojans will be riding high on their Thursday night dominance.

"We'll never forget this night," Gottlieb said. "It's as good as anything I've ever seen."

UConn star Paige Bueckers dribbles the ball during a game.
UConn takes on South Carolina on Sunday. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)

How to watch Top 10 NCAA basketball this weekend

With no undefeated teams left in DI basketball, Watkins's performance has put the field on notice to not make any assumptions about who might end up on top.

While Sunday will see USC roll against unranked Washington and UCLA try to bounce back against No. 22 Michigan State, the NCAA slate will also serve up two huge Top 10 matchups.

First, No. 7 UConn will take their final major regular-season test when they visit No. 4 South Carolina at 1 PM ET, when Paige Bueckers and the Huskies will aim to pull off a similarly impressive USC-inspired upset.

Then at 3 PM ET, No. 5 LSU heads to No. 3 Texas, where the Tigers will hunt their first win over the Longhorns in more than 22 years.

Both elite meetings are set to air live on ABC.

Pro Women’s Lacrosse League Debuts at WLL Championship Series

A promotional graphic for the WLL Championship Series.
The WLL played its first-ever pro games at this week's Lexus Championship Series. (ESPN)

The brand-new professional Women's Lacrosse League (WLL) made its official debut this week just outside of Washington, DC, where its first-ever game saw the New York Charging take down the Maryland Charm 14-13 in the WLL Championship Series.

After the inaugural Tuesday result, the action continued on Wednesday, when the California Palms opened their WLL account by getting the better of the Boston Guard in a tight 16-15 matchup.

Founded and run by the Premier Lacrosse League, the WLL fosters top-level competition as the sport gears up for its 2028 Olympic return.

The four-team WLL Championship Series follows an Olympic-style "sixes" format. Unlike traditional lacrosse, which uses a larger pitch and 10 athletes per team, sixes employs a condensed field with six players per side.

In the Championship Series, teams are first competing in three round-robin games to determine semifinal seedings. The tournament will culminate with the knockout semifinal and final rounds on Sunday and Monday, respectively.

Team USA lacrosse star Charlotte North gestures during a 2022 World Championship game.
Team USA star Charlotte North competes for the WLL's Boston Guard. (Ryan Hunt/Getty Images)

WLL looks to level up lacrosse ahead of 2028 Olympics

Despite the competition's quick turnaround, the WLL represents a growing professionalization movement in women's lacrosse — with all involved betting big on the sport's Olympic success in LA.

When lacrosse steps back onto the Olympic stage in 2028, it will have been 80 years since its last 1948 outing — and even then, it was merely a demonstration event. The last time the sport earned medals was in 1908.

Furthermore, the sport's entire Olympic history rests in the men's game — 2028 will see women take the Olympic lacrosse pitch for the first time ever.

"We are honored to be a part of the WLL, and we couldn't be more excited to bring this game to the fans in new ways than ever before," said Boston Guard star Charlotte North in a league statement.

"We firmly believe that this is the beginning of what will be a monumental movement in the game of professional women's lacrosse, and for female athletes around the globe.... It's our time."

Former Northwestern lacrosse star Izzy Scane shoots the ball during an NCAA game.
Izzy Scane, the NCAA DI lacrosse career scoring leader, plays for the New York Charging. (Greg Fiume/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

How to watch the WLL Championship Series

The tournament's round-robin play continues with the Maryland Charm facing off against the Boston guard at 9 PM ET on Thursday, before the California Palms contend with the New York Charging at 6 PM ET on Friday.

All WLL Championship Series games will stream live on ESPN+, with Sunday's and Monday's knockout rounds airing live on ESPN2.

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