BUCHAREST (Romania) – The Netherlands (NED) are on an unstoppable roll. Led by another outstanding performance from Noortje Driessen, the Netherlands defeated hosts Rapid Bucharest (ROU) 21-15 in the Final to win the FIBA 3x3 Women's Series CS Rapid 2026 on Sunday.
The victory marked their third consecutive FIBA 3x3 Women's Series stop win and fourth of the season, further establishing the Dutch as one of the teams to beat as the FIBA 3x3 Women's Series Project Redwings Shanghai Final 2026 approaches.
With the win, the Netherlands also climbed to No. 3 in the FIBA 3x3 Women's Series 2026 standings, moving just behind Ulaanbaatar Amazons (MGL) and Neftchi SOCAR (AZE) in the race toward the season finale.
The Winner
The Netherlands were simply too much throughout the weekend. They swept Pool B, opening with a dominant 21-10 victory over Austria (AUT) before cruising past Bucharest (ROU) 21-5 to secure their place in the Quarter-Finals.
Their knockout run was just as impressive. The Dutch defeated Belgium (BEL) 20-12 in the Quarter-Finals before dismantling Beijing (CHN) 21-9 in the Semi-Finals.
That set up a showdown with home favorites Rapid Bucharest, but the Netherlands once again found a way to finish the job. Driessen was at the heart of their success all weekend, delivering when it mattered most as the Netherlands continued their remarkable run of form.
The Runner-up
Rapid Bucharest came agonizingly close to completing a homecoming story. The No. 1 seeds swept their pool, defeating Latvia (LAT) 21-11 and Beijing 21-14, before producing one of the biggest statements of the Quarter-Finals with a 19-8 demolition of Germany (GER).
The hosts then survived a dramatic Semi-final against France (FRA). France raced into an 8-4 lead before Rapid fought back to tie the game at 10-all. France regained a 13-12 advantage with less than two minutes remaining, but could not score again.
Hortense Limouzin then took over, scoring three straight points to give Rapid a 15-13 lead with 30 seconds remaining. The hosts held on to reach the Final and give the home crowd a chance to celebrate.
They ultimately fell short against the Netherlands but still secured a runner-up finish on home soil.
The Final
Speaking of the Final, it lived up to the billing as two of the FIBA 3x3 Women's Series' hottest teams went head-to-head. Rapid Bucharest kept pace early, with the game tied at 5-all before the Netherlands began to establish control. The Dutch opened up a 13-10 lead midway through the contest and extended their advantage to 17-12 with less than three minutes remaining.
Rapid continued to fight, but the Netherlands refused to let the hosts back into the game. Driessen then put the finishing touches on another championship performance, converting free-throws to close out the 21-15 victory.
Three straight titles. Four in total this season. The Netherlands are rolling.
Road to the Final
France entered the knockout stage as one of the most impressive teams in the field, sweeping Pool D with wins over China (CHN) and Belgium.
They carried that momentum into the Quarter-Finals, where they caught fire from beyond the arc against Austria. France knocked down eight 2-pointers on their way to a commanding 21-11 victory, with Marie Mané leading the way with 10 points. They just fell short against Rapid in their next outing.
Beijing also produced one of the tournament's biggest knockout-stage surprises. After advancing from Pool A alongside Rapid Bucharest, Beijing faced Lithuania (LTU) in the Quarter-Finals and overcame a strong performance from Kamile Nacickaite-van der Horst. Wu TongTong and Zhang ZhiTing combined for 17 points, while Beijing closed the game on a 7-2 run to complete a 21-17 upset and book their place in the Semi-Finals. Their run came to an end against the Netherlands, however, as the Dutch exploded out to a 7-3 lead and never looked back.
Both France and Beijing fell one game short of the Final, but their Semi-Final appearances underlined the depth of the CS Rapid field.
The Reward
The Netherlands leave Bucharest with another Women's Series title and a valuable haul of Race to the Final points.
The victory moves them up to No. 3 in the FIBA 3x3 Women's Series 2026 standings, putting the Dutch firmly in the mix as the season continues deeper into its decisive stages.
For Rapid Bucharest, the runner-up finish provides an important boost after a strong tournament on home soil. It keeps the hosts among the leading contenders in the race toward the Women's Series finale. As things currently stand, Rapid are No. 5 in the FIBA 3x3 Women's Series 2026 standings.
MVP
There was little doubt who would take home the MVP honors. Noortje Driessen was once again the difference-maker for the Netherlands, finishing CS Rapid with a tournament-leading 37 total points. She also led the field with 17 free-throws made and finished third in highlights with 12, while her 45.1 Player Value ranked second overall.
Most importantly, Driessen delivered in the biggest moments. After helping the Netherlands cruise through the pool and knockout stages, she scored eight points in the Final and converted the free-throws that sealed the big win. It was another MVP-caliber showing from one of the Women's Series' most in-form stars.
Final Standings
1. Netherlands (NED) 2. Rapid Bucharest (ROU) 3. France (FRA) 4. Beijing (CHN) 5. Lithuania (LTU) 6. Belgium (BEL) 7. Germany (GER) 8. Austria (AUT) 9. China (CHN) 10. Yanjing (CHN) 11. Latvia (LAT) 12. Bucharest (ROU) 13. Poland (POL) 14. Ireland (IRL) 15. Rīga (LAT) 16. Romania (ROU)
What's Next
The FIBA 3x3 Women's Series continues on August 13-14 with the FIBA 3x3 Women's Series Singapore 2026.
With the season heading toward the homestretch, the world's top teams will once again battle for valuable Race to the Final points as the race for the FIBA 3x3 Women's Series championship continues to gain momentum.
Stay Connected
Follow all the latest action from the FIBA 3x3 Women's Series throughout the 2026 season by visiting the official Women's Series website, where you can find the latest news, team standings, player statistics and everything you need to follow the Race to the Final. Fans can also keep track of the Event Calendar and the latest FIBA 3x3 Individual and Federation Rankings as teams and players continue their push toward the season finale.
Want to learn more about 3x3 basketball? Explore the official FIBA 3x3 Rules to understand the unique fast-paced format of the game, or discover the FIBA 3x3 Competition Structure to see how the discipline’s global pathway connects grassroots events, professional tours and world-class international competitions.
FIBA