ULAANBAATAR (Mongolia) – France (Men) and USA U21 (Women) won the FIBA 3×3 Nations League 2023 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on September 15.
France (Men) continued their reign of dominance, picking up their whopping fourth Nations League title. They took care of business against the younger France U21 side 18-16 in the semi-finals to book a spot against Latvia in the final. Finding themselves on the losing side early on, the Frenchman surged back and took control. Their defensive effort book-ended a splendid campaign as they came away with a 16-13 victory. Florian Fortas put up a game-high 8 points while Sya Plaucoste contributed with 5.
Paul Billong and Sya Plaucoste were crowned Co-MVPs after a versatile effort from the duo. Plaucoste led the side in scoring with 25 with Billong just a point behind with 24.
On the women’s side, USA, with their U21 squad, won their first-ever Nations League title. They defeated the on-fire China in the final, coming back from a deficit to snatch victory 18-19 with a last-gasp winner from Morgan Maly. The 21-year-old finished with 6 points as did Mara Braun who was efficient from behind the arc.
Morgan Maly finished as top scorer for her side, third overall with 39 including the winning bucket. Her efforts earned her the MVP award.
This was the sixth edition of the Nations League, dedicated to players under the age of 23 (including U21 teams), which featured 13 different conferences and started in June.
