ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (September 17, 2023) – The 2023 FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series concluded on Sunday with USA, featuring Cierra Burdick, Blake Dietrick, Linnae Harper and Camille Zimmerman, placing fourth at the Ulaanbaatar Final in Mongolia. The Americans advanced to the semifinals where they were defeated by eventual champion Canada, 21-12.
Harper scored the first point of the semifinal matchup but Canada responded with a 6-1 run and was dictating the tempo of the contest. The Canadians hit five 2-pointers in the game, putting USA into a hole they could not climb out of. Harper finished with five points while Burdick pulled down eight rebounds.
USA earned a spot into the semifinals with a play-in victory over Germany. It was a battle inside against the Germans as the Americans navigated their defense for success. Zimmerman scored a team-high six points in the game, including a 3-0 run of her own midway through the game. Germany had a late run to pull within a score with 1:08 remaining but Harper scored again to put the contest out of reach.
On Saturday, the USA squad went 2-1 in pool play.
Their first game of the competition was a 16-13 triumph over Neftchi. A 9-1 run by the Americans midway through the contest made all the difference. Trailing 5-3, USA found their offensive groove to take control 12-6 in over three minutes of game time. Zimmerman led all scorers with seven points.
A balanced effort from USA earned a 18-17 victory against Sc. Yuanda for the second pool play win. Zimmerman scored six points, Harper had five, Dietrick added four and Burdick chipped in three in a game that saw USA rally from a six-point deficit. The team from China held a 9-3 advantage three minutes into the contest but the USA comeback featured two impressive 5-1 runs. Zimmerman scored the go-ahead point with four seconds remaining.
The third and final pool play game was a setback to China, 16-14. Harper had a team-high five points but a late USA run couldn’t close the gap with the Chinese. USA scored four of the last six points of the game but unfortunately went scoreless in the final 60 seconds of action.
For the full results of the 2023 FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series Final, click here.
USA was one of eight teams to have earned a bid to the Ulaanbaatar Final, the marquee tournament of the 23-event FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series that tipped off in early May.
USA participated in eight Women’s Series stops in 2023, winning stops in Pristina, Kosovo, and Katowice, Poland, and recording five top-four finishes overall.
Different than 5-on-5, 3x3 is played on a half-court with a 10-minute game clock and 12-second shot clock. Play is continuous, as teams “clear” the ball behind the 2-point line following a made basketball, defensive rebound or steal. The first team to score 21 points via 1-pointer field goals or 2-pointers behind the arc is victorious; or if time expires then the team leading wins.