SHANGHAI (China) – Canada (CAN) claimed the FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series Shanghai 2026 title after surviving a dramatic overtime battle against Amsterdam (NED) in a thrilling Final at the the Shanghai Global Harbor.
In a back-and-forth titular clash, Amsterdam raced to a quick 4-1 lead before Canada steadily fought their way back behind the stellar play of Merissah Russell and Paige Crozon. Canada moved ahead 9-6 midway through the contest, but Amsterdam responded with a huge run to grab a 15-11 advantage late in regulation.
Canada refused to fold, clawing back to retake the lead 17-16 in the closing seconds before Zoë Slagter forced overtime for Amsterdam. In the extra period, Russell kept her composure at the stripe and drained two clutch free throws to secure the 19-17 victory and hand Canada their FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series triumph of the 2026 season.
Russell delivered another huge performance in the Final with 7 points and capped off a dominant campaign to earn MVP honors. The Canadian star finished as the event’s leading scorer with 33 points while also leading the competition in two-pointers made (8) and total player value (45.6).
Canada looked dominant throughout the knockout phase. They first defeated Thailand (THA) 21-14 in the Quarter-Finals behind 7 points from Russell before overpowering Beijing (CHN) 21-11 in the Semi-Finals. Crozon and Katherine Plouffe also played pivotal roles as Canada’s balanced attack proved too much for opponents all tournament long.
Amsterdam enjoyed a sensational run to the Final after surviving a gritty overtime quarterfinal against Austria (AUT), 13-11. Slagter starred with 7 points before the Dutch side exploded offensively in the Semi-Finals to defeat Ulaanbaatar Amazons (MGL) 21-12.
Kiki Fleuren stole the show in the semis, pouring in 12 points and knocking down four two-pointers in a scorching shooting display that powered Amsterdam into the championship game.
Beijing emerged as one of the biggest surprise teams of the event. After stunning top-seeded Netherlands (NED) during pool play, they crushed Australia (AUS) 21-10 in the Quarter-Finals behind an 11-point masterpiece from Zhang ZhiTing before eventually falling to Canada in the Semi-Finals.
Ulaanbaatar Amazons also impressed throughout the tournament, highlighted by a Quarter-Finals upset of Netherlands 16-12 behind the clutch late-game heroics of Khulan Onolbaatar.
The tournament was filled with surprises from the opening day. Thailand produced one of the biggest upsets of pool play after defeating Neftchi SOCAR (AZE) 19-14 before advancing to the Quarter-Finals out of Pool D. Australia dominated the Qualifying Draw behind Hannah Hank, while Mitsubishi Electric (JPN) earned a memorable win over Beijing in pool play thanks to a late two-pointer from Yurin Yamamoto.
Amsterdam’s Liselot Kulk was named Young Player of the Event after averaging 4.6 points per game while tallying 27.1 total player value and 18 rebounds during the tournament.
Final Standings
1. United States USA 2. Lithuania LTU 3. Neftchi SOCAR AZE 4. Germany GER 5. Beijing CHN 6. China CHN 7. Mongolia MGL 8. Ulaanbaatar Amazons MGL 9. Poland POL 10. Mitsubishi Electric JPN 11. China PHI 12. Japan JPN 13. Singapore SGP 14. Warsaw POL 15. Shanghai PHI 16. Indonesia INA
Following a three-wek break for the FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2026, the FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series 2026 returns on June 12-14 with the Vienna Women’s Series stop.
FIBA