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USA Basketball's Team Ready for 2026 FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup

Tori McKinney at March Madness press conference
Basketball

MINNEAPOLIS – The core of USA Basketball’s next 3x3 wave is back together, and this time the stakes are global.

Tori McKinney will again link up with McKinna Brackens, Dani Carnegie and Katie Fiso as the quartet heads to Wuhan, China, for the 2026 FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup, running Sept. 15-19. The group already carries winning form into the tournament; they stormed through the 2026 FIBA 3x3 Nations League Americas North Conference in July, lifting the title in Ñuñoa, Chile.

Same team. Same coach. Bigger stage.

Todd Monsey, who guided them in Chile, returns on the sideline as head coach, looking to translate that regional dominance into a run at a world crown.

Early Wake-Up Calls, Immediate Tests

The Americans land in Pool D and waste no time diving into the pressure. They open play on Sept. 16 against Japan at 2:50 a.m. CT, a brutal time for viewers back home but a crucial first marker in Wuhan. Later that morning, at 7:50 a.m. CT, they face Kenya in a game that could shape the entire group.

Two days later comes the real grind. On Sept. 18, the USA women meet Slovenia at 4:30 a.m. CT, then turn around for a clash with Australia at 8:25 a.m. CT. Four pool games, four distinct styles, and almost no margin for error.

Every possession will matter. In 3x3, it always does.

Path to the Knockout Rounds

The format is ruthless. Each of the four pools contains five teams, and only the top two from each group advance to the quarterfinals on Sept. 19. Once the field is set, the bracket and updated schedule will be confirmed.

For McKinney and her teammates, the equation is simple enough: survive Pool D, and the medal conversation becomes real.

USA Basketball’s pool schedule (CT):

  • Sept. 16 – 2:50 a.m. vs. Japan
  • Sept. 16 – 7:50 a.m. vs. Kenya
  • Sept. 18 – 4:30 a.m. vs. Slovenia
  • Sept. 18 – 8:25 a.m. vs. Australia

They’ve already proved they can own a conference. Now they get to find out if that chemistry holds when the rest of the world steps onto the half court.

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