Azerbaijan's Neftchi Socar basketball team won the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) 3x3 Women's Series Marseille 2026 after defeating Canada 15-9 in the final in Marseille, France, on Sunday.
The FIBA 3x3 page stated that this achievement was the team's second title in the 2026 season.
In the final round, Neftchi appeared dominant from the start of the match, immediately taking a 6-2 lead when Canada struggled to develop an attacking game.
The team's tight defense limited the opponent's scoring opportunities, increasing the lead to 11-5 with less than three minutes remaining.
Aoi Katsura then extended the lead to 13-7 before Arica Carter sealed the win with a two-pointer to end the match at 15-9.
Carter led Neftchi Socar with five points, while Alexandra Mollenhauer contributed four. For Canada, Katherine Plouffe and Cassandra Brown each scored three points.
Neftchi Socar's journey to the title wasn't easy. They first defeated Hungary 19-18 in overtime in their opening Group A match. They then defeated Slovakia 21-14 to secure top spot.
In the knockout stages, they stopped surprise package Uganda with an 18-15 victory in the quarter-finals, before eliminating hosts France 14-10 in the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, Canada advanced to the final after sweeping Group B matches, defeating Ottawa 22-11 in the quarterfinals, then defeating France U-25 with a score of 18-16 in the semifinals.
Arica Carter was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP) after leading various statistical categories, including player rating, total points, key assists and free throws.
The next round will take place in Caceres, Spain, on July 9-10, as the world's best teams once again compete to collect points towards the final round.
The FIBA 3x3 Women's Series is an annual world-class women's 3x3 basketball tournament organized by FIBA.
The event can be attended by national teams (national teams), as well as professional teams representing cities, clubs or sponsors.
The tournament is held in several series across various countries throughout the season. Each series awards points toward the season rankings and qualification for the finals at the end of the year.
