NEWCASTLE (Paul Nilsen’s Women’s Basketball Worldwide) – As we look forward to the arrival of the FIBA 3x3 World Cup I have been asking myself what my own dream 3x3 tournament might look like.

Firstly, I would push the magic button on my time machine and make sure we got a legends team come together in what I would think would be a simply majestic line-up.

‘Team back to the future’

Hortencia Marcari, Amaya Valdemoro, Lauren Jackson, Lisa Leslie

Let’s face it, these guys would take the rest of the competition to school.

Brazilian legend Marcari is someone who I might not have seen much of as she was before my time, but have heard so much about and when people tell me about her, they speak enthusiastically of her skills and with both joy and passion in doing so. Handling, shooting, IQ and just plain moves, I dream of being able to see her skills out there on the 3x3 floor.

Spanish ace Valdemoro would have been ideal for a long 3x3 career because she had unlimited energy and a passion for the game which manifested itself in her skill-set. I think she would have been a tremendous ambassador had it blown up around the world a decade earlier.

Jackson needs absolutely no explanation for her inclusion. I mean it is LJ. Her versatility and talent reigns supreme in my mind. This is someone that has had streets named after her in her homeland and who would have been a near-impossible defensive assignment on a 3x3 court when she would have even more scope to dominate.

Leslie would have gleefully swatted her opponents, went to serious work with her class and physicality and left her mark in a big way. I am taking inspiration for her inclusion with how Ann Wauters shone for Belgium in recent years [perhaps unexpectedly] in 3x3.

'Team hard as nails’

Diana Taurasi, Marta Xargay, Jelena Dubljevic, Maria Vadeeva

Back into the real world and the still active players, we all appreciate that there is no such thing as a ‘soft foul or touch foul’ in 3x3. So, I would find it highly entertaining to watch this quartet for very different reasons to the norm. While most 3x3 is the expression of skills and freedom with the basketball, it would be the expression on the faces of these four that would have me compelled.

For obvious reasons, Taurasi brings the flair offensively and can do it all in terms of her, but never shirks away from getting into a few scrapes – something which I love. She’s a bad-ass as well as the greatest, so it would be fun all the way. Just not for her opponents or the poor referees.

Xargay is just ready to engage lockdown on her opponents when you say the word and even if might seem anti 3x3 in some ways, she can be a trojan horse of sorts for the purists, to show there is still some scope for fine defense in the shorter version of the sport.

Jelena Dubljevic breathes fire whenever she is on court. Feisty and oozing aggression and passion from every pore, her competitiveness and moves would be compelling.

Finally, Vadeeva is perhaps an unusual choice in some people’s eyes. Yet I am not sure that everyone appreciates she does have the footwork which outstrips any lack of traditionally viewed athleticism. Just check out all the ‘And-1’ buckets she got at EuroBasket Women 2015 when she was just 16-years-old by the way!

I would pay good money to see her give the refs one of her stares when a call doesn’t come. Best of all? She has had a bet with her brother about dunking asap otherwise she will have to buy him a car and this would be a great place to do it.

‘Team Entertainment’

Marjorie Carpreaux, Marine Johannes, Angel McCoughtry, Eziyoda Magbegor

Finally, 3x3 is all about the dynamic skills and flair, so to keep big fans of the sport happy, here is my ‘Team Entertainment’.

Belgian guard Marjorie Carpreaux is one of the top ten players I have seen worldwide when it comes to entertaining on the court. She would drive me slightly crazy as a coach, but generally 'crazy good' because she always gives you a smile with her sweet skills and willingness to take risks with some outrageous passes. She is also an accomplished 3x3 performer already.

Marine Johannes is one of the most skillful and dynamic players in the women’s game and I believe will be a top ten star of the women’s game globally within 12-18 months. She was made for mixtapes and the social media channel generation. Long, relatively quick, nice handles and amazing shooting versatility makes her so wonderful to watch.

McCoughtry is my ultimate do-it-all player. The more I watch her, the more I like. That wasn’t always the case, but what she did at Dynamo Kursk last year has swayed me into her fan club. Athleticism, strength, dribbling, hang-time – you just aren’t stopping her for much of the time.

Last of all, I am a major fan of Australian rising star Eziyoda Magbegor. She is on ‘Swat Patrol’ 24/7 and I love everything about her. I am wondering about dunks in the future and the teenager is so unassuming off the court, but expresses herself so well on the floor.

Now wouldn't all this be great fun? Who did I miss aside from Elena Delle Donne, Maya Moore, Sonja Petrovic and hundreds of other candidates?

Paul Nilsen

FIBA

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