DEBRECEN (Hungary) - In a perfect tune up for the showpiece Shanghai Final, Spain finished the FIBA 3x3 Women's Series 2025 in style after taking out the title in Debrecen.
Here's what happened at the 14th stop of the season on August 29-30.
The winner: Spain
What a way for the Olympic silver medalist to end a spectacular season. Spain only appeared at five Stops this season, yet walked away with three titles and they will enter the Shanghai Final as arguably the team to beat.
After an easy opening dub against former World Cup champs Italy, Spain needed the magic of legendary Sandra Ygueravide to outlast Czechia in a preview of what was to come.
Ygueravide and sidekick Vega Gimeno combined for 16 points in Spain's 21-7 beatdown of Ulaanbaatar Amazons (MGL) in the quarters. That led to a blockbuster between Spain and top seed Netherlands in a semi-final that more than lived up to the hype.
In one of the best games of the season, MVP Gimeno proved the hero with a fadeaway buzzer beater in OT as Spain claimed an epic triumph before thrashing Czechia in the final.
The runner-up: Czechia
For the second time in five Stops this season, Czechia made the final after an impressive run in the knockouts. Their bid for a first title fell short as they ran out of gas, but Czechia should feel pride after finishing eighth on the WS standings.
Although, in a heartbreak, Czechia missed a ticket to Shanghai by just 10 points with seventh-placed Czechia securing the last spot by rankings.
Kristyna Brabencova, Eliska Halova and Anna Rylichova proved a three-headed monster for fifth seeded Czechia, who gained confidence after beating Italy to reach Day Two. It was Katerina Galickova who stole the show in the quarters with a lights out display from deep as Czechia comfortably beat in-form Austria.
Czechia saved their most impressive performance for the semis, where they delivered a smackdown to third seed CS Rapid Bucharest (ROU). Halova was unstoppable as Czechia unfurled a defensive masterclass in one of their best wins of 2025.
The Final: Spain 21-Czechia 9 Spain entered as favorite, but Czechia showed they could provide a firm test after the Day One clash between the teams. And the stakes were at its most intense - a victory would secure a spot to Shanghai while a loss meant they missed out.
Czechia's semi-final confidence spilled over as they started well to match buckets with the Spaniards. But Spain were better prepared and they gradually sliced up a flagging Czechia with precision passing.
Gimeno and fellow bucket getter Juana Camilion hit twos as Spain enjoyed a mini-break that they didn't let up. They were ruthless down the stretch, running Czechia ragged and finishing the game on a 12-2 run with an unstoppable Gimeno scoring 7 points.
She finished with a crazy 11 points and 9 rebounds to walk off with the MVP and ensure she's in the form of her life heading into Shanghai. Conversely, it was a bitter disappointment for a gallant Czechia.
Final Standings: 1. Spain 2. Czechia 3. Netherlands 4. CS Rapid Bucharest (ROU) 5. Austria Next Stop: The W Series will journey to Shanghai on September 13-14.
FIBA