BAKU (Azerbaijan) – Rapid Bucharest (ROU) continued their remarkable mid-season surge by capturing a second straight FIBA 3x3 Women's Series stop title after defeating Austria (AUT) 17-12 in the Final of the FIBA 3x3 Women's Series Baku 2026 on July 19. Just one week after claiming their maiden Women's Series crown in Caceres, Rapid proved that triumph was no fluke, stringing together another unbeaten campaign highlighted by disciplined defense, efficient offense and clutch performances from their formidable lineup.
The Winner
Rapid Bucharest never looked back in the titular encounter with Austria, racing to a 3-0 start before opening up an 11-4 advantage midway through the contest. Austria threatened a comeback after trimming the deficit to 15-12 in the closing minute, but Ainhoa Gervasini buried a timely two-pointer to seal the victory. Rapid forced eight Austrian turnovers while moving the ball superbly, finishing with four key assists compared to Austria's one. Marta Miščenko led the winners with 6 points as Rapid celebrated back-to-back Women's Series titles.
The Runner-up
Austria enjoyed their best Women's Series finish of the season after an impressive tournament that included victories over Spain (ESP), Brazil (BRA), Czechia (CZE) and Lithuania (LTU). Sigrid Koizar once again led from the front throughout the weekend, while Anja Fuchs-Robetin delivered several key performances to help Austria reach their first Final of the 2026 campaign.
The Final
The championship matchup featured two of the tournament's hottest teams, but Rapid's experience ultimately proved decisive. Their pressure defense disrupted Austria's rhythm from the opening possession, while crisp ball movement consistently created quality scoring opportunities. Although Austria fought back late, Rapid remained composed to close out another impressive winning run.
Road to the Final
Rapid Bucharest topped Pool B on Day 1 with convincing wins over Singapore (SGP) and Czechia before defeating Spain 16-11 in the Quarter-Finals behind another strong performance from Gervasini. Their toughest test came in a thrilling Semi-Final clash against surprise package Slovenia, where Eva Lisec forced overtime before Gervasini drilled the game-winning buzzer-beater for a dramatic 19-18 victory.
Austria's route to the Final was equally impressive, as they swept Pool D with wins over Spain and Brazil before Anja Fuchs-Robetin led a 15-11 Quarter-Finals triumph over Czechia. The Austrians then used a decisive mid-game run to overcome Lithuania 18-11, booking their first Women's Series Final of the season despite a 9-point effort from Lithuania's Kamile Nacickaite-van der Horst.
Earlier, the Lithuanians advanced to the Semi-Finals after eliminating Chile 16-9, while Slovenia authored one of the tournament's best stories. After battling through the Qualifying Draw, Slovenia advanced from a dramatic three-way tie in Pool C before stunning top-seeded hosts Neftchi SOCAR 13-10 in the Quarter-Finals behind Tina Cvijanovič. Day 1 also saw Lithuania complete an unbeaten pool campaign thanks to standout performances from Nacickaite-van der Horst and Audronė Zdanevičiūtė, while Chile impressed behind rising star Fernanda Ovalle, and Rapid entered the knockout rounds full of confidence as Hortense Limouzin and Gervasini carried their outstanding form from their title-winning run in Caceres.
MVP
Limouzin was named the Women's Series Baku MVP after another outstanding all-around tournament. She finished first in player value (44.8), highlights (22) and double-fives (3), while ranking second in both total points (30) and rebounds (23), serving as the engine behind Rapid's second consecutive Women's Series title.
Final Standings
1. Rapid Bucharest (ROU) 2. Austria (AUT) 3. Lithuania (LTU) 4. Slovenia (SLO) 5. Neftchi SOCAR (AZE) 6. Spain (ESP) 7. Chile (CHI) 8. Czechia (CZE) 9. Latvia (LAT) 10. Prague (CZE) 11. Singapore (SGP) 12. Brazil (BRA) 13. Azerbaijan (AZE) 14. Slovakia (SVK) 15. Kampala (UGA) 16. Benin (BEN)
The FIBA 3x3 Women's Series continues on July 23-24 in Batam, Indonesia, where the world's best teams will once again battle for valuable Race to the Final points before attention shifts to the FIBA 3x3 Batam Challenger.
FIBA