USA 3x3 U23 Women’s National Team Prepares for 2026 World Cup
MINNEAPOLIS – The core of USA Basketball’s next wave is packing for Wuhan, and they’re not going quietly.
Tori McKinney and the USA 3x3 U23 Women’s National Team are set to launch their 2026 FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup campaign from Sept. 15-19 in China, carrying the momentum of a summer that already proved they can win together.
A Group That’s Already Been Tested
This isn’t a hastily assembled group dropped into a global tournament. McKinna Brackens, Dani Carnegie, Katie Fiso and McKinney already spent July grinding through the 2026 FIBA 3x3 Nations League Americas North Conference in Ñuñoa, Chile — and winning it.
Same four players. Same coach. Same standard.
Todd Monsey, who steered that run in Chile from the sideline, takes charge again, bringing continuity to a format that punishes hesitation and rewards chemistry. In 3x3, trust is a weapon. This group already has it.
Pool D: No Soft Landing
The World Cup schedule offers no easing-in period. The USA open Pool D play on Sept. 16 with a jolt: Japan at 2:50 a.m. CT, a harsh alarm clock for fans back home but a sharp early test for a team that thrives on pace.
A few hours later, they’re back on court against Kenya at 7:50 a.m. CT. Two games, one day, and the tone of their tournament could be set before most of the country finishes breakfast.
Pool play resumes Sept. 18 with another demanding doubleheader: Slovenia at 4:30 a.m. CT, then Australia at 8:25 a.m. CT. Four games, four contrasting styles, and no margin for mental drift.
Every possession matters in 3x3. Every slip can flip a pool.
The Stakes in Wuhan
The format is ruthless. There are four pools, five teams in each. Only the top two from every group survive to the quarterfinals on Sept. 19.
That’s it. Finish first or second, or fly home early.
Once pool play wraps, the bracket will reset, and an updated schedule will drop once all the quarterfinalists are locked in. Until then, the path is simple enough: handle Pool D, and the medal rounds stay in sight.
For Brackens, Carnegie, Fiso and McKinney, the assignment is clear. They’ve already proved they can win a continental title together. Now they walk into Wuhan carrying a USA jersey and a bigger target on their backs.
The question is no longer whether they can handle the stage. It’s how far this tight, battle-tested group can push the U23 standard for USA 3x3 on the world stage.
