BANGKOK (March 16, 2026) - In the tournament’s second ever iteration, the USA men and women – both 4-1 on the weekend – secured first and third place, respectively, at the 2026 FIBA 3x3 Champions Cup on Sunday in Bangkok.
After dropping their opening contest of the tournament on Friday, the USA men, featuring Riley Battin, James Parrott, Caden Pierce and Justin Pierce, stayed perfect over the next four games to earn the title with a 19-14 win over Spain in the championship.
Parrott ignited the United States’ scoring attack with the first five points for his foursome. The Spanish tied it at 3 and 5, but Justin Pierce’s ability to draw fouls on a pair of 2-point attempts ballooned the USA’s lead to four, 10-6.
Spain clawed their way back with three buckets near the tin before Justin Pierce was fouled yet again from deep. His free throw and a Battin layup made it 13-10 with just over three minutes to play.
Justin found Caden Pierce for a cutting layup before Battin knifed a bounce pass to the younger Pierce on a ghost screen for an emphatic two-handed slam. Spain punched back with two free throws, but Caden Pierce made his presence felt once more with a one-handed alley-oop dunk over a Spanish defender.
With 2:20 to go, the United States held a three-point lead. Battin and Parrott piled on with three more scores and the Americans walked off with the triumph.
In a well-rounded effort, Parrott dropped seven points, Justin Pierce chipped in with five, Battin scored four and Caden Pierce added three. Following the win, Caden Pierce was named MVP of the tournament.
The U.S. defeated perennial powerhouse Serbia 15-14 in the semifinals to open the day.
A day removed from clinching the top spot in Pool A, Shakira Austin, Veronica Burton, Allisha Gray and Naz Hillmon laced up against Azerbaijan, in the semifinals and fell 20-22 on a buzzer 2-pointer.
Despite the loss, the USA advanced to the third-place game against familiar foe and 2025 Champions Cup victors Canada.
Backed by stout defense and a relentless pursuit of offensive rebounds, the United States built a 5-2 advantage during the first four minutes of play. Hillmon, Gray and Burton stretched the gap to seven, 10-3, with a layup, rainbow 2-pointer and pair of free throws by the 3:55-minute mark.
Canada put together a 3-0 spurt over the next 60 seconds, but Burton answered with four straight points on her own to make it a 14-6 affair. Austin added three consecutive points to Burton’s barrage, and in the blink of an eye, the United States held a 10-point lead.
Burton netted one more 2-pointer, and her group dribbled out the clock en route to the 20-10 win.
Gray, who set the tone for the Americans in multiple games, was named to the all-tournament team.
The FIBA 3x3 Champions Cup features eight teams per gender, including continental champions, World Cup winners, top-ranked nations and hosts Thailand. The winners of the 2026 FIBA 3x3 Champions Cup will secure direct qualification to the 2027 FIBA 3x3 World Cup, 2027 FIBA 3x3 Champions Cup and the Cups-based Olympic Qualification Tournament in 2028. For more information, click here.