The French team won the 2026 FIBA 3-person basketball women's series global championship

China News Service, Shanghai, September 6 (Reporter Miao Lu) The 2026 FIBA ​​(International Basketball Federation) three-person basketball women's series global finals ended in Shanghai on the evening of the 6th. The French team defeated Rapid Bucharest from Romania (hereinafter referred to as "Fast Team") at 22:14 and won the annual championship trophy.

On the evening of September 6, the 2026 FIBA ​​Three-person Basketball Women’s Series Global Finals came to an end, and the French team won the championship. (Photo courtesy of the organizer)

This victory was also the third time in the history of the French team that they were crowned the championship of the series. They had previously reached the top in 2019 and 2024.

As the highest level FIBA ​​women's three-person basketball event (Level 8), this series is at the same level as the Olympic women's three-person basketball event. This event is also an important scoring stop in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics cycle. After 24 competitions around the world, eight top teams from China, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and other countries gathered in Shanghai to compete for the annual championship.

Since three-person basketball entered the Olympic system, it has become one of the fastest-growing and most competitive sports in the international basketball world. Three-person basketball is famous for its fast pace, strong confrontation, and intensive offensive and defensive transitions. A game is short, has many rounds, and is focused on suspense. It places extremely high demands on players' personal abilities, team chemistry, on-the-spot decision-making, and physical confrontation.

The event adopts a half-time 3 vs. 3 competition mode. The game lasts 10 minutes. The first to score 21 points can win in advance.

At the beginning of the championship battle, the two sides were evenly matched, with the French team only leading slightly at 4:3. As the game progressed, the French team got better and better. Through sharp offense and tight defensive rotation, they controlled the situation 10:5 in the middle of the game. The French team then pursued the victory and entered the last 4 minutes, still holding a 6-point lead, and brought the score to 16:12 before the last 3 minutes. Entering the final quarter, although the Rapids missed free throws, they relied on tenacious fighting and fast breaks to chase the point difference to only 2 points in the last minute. At the critical moment, the French team hit a long shot to regain stability and push the advantage back to 4 points. After that, the French team never gave their opponents any chance, and finally secured the victory at 22:14.

French player Laetitia Guapo won the Most Valuable Player Award. In an interview with a reporter from China News Service after the game, she said that this victory was the result of countless efforts of the whole team. They are proud of themselves and they deserve this championship trophy. But she also pointed out that getting a ticket to the Olympics is still a long marathon, and the team still has room to continue polishing and improving.

This is Guabo's first time in Shanghai. She said that the city is beautiful and charming, and the fans are friendly and enthusiastic. Although the schedule was tight and she was not able to fully enjoy the tour, she looks forward to returning to Shanghai soon to fully experience the charm here. (over)