South Carolina’s Joyce Edwards, LSU’s Mikaylah Williams and MiLaysia Fulwiley deliver a historic championship performance in Warsaw, Poland
History has been made. For the fourth time in FIBA 3×3 Women’s World Cup history, the United States of America stands atop the podium — and this year’s championship run was as dramatic as it gets. Team USA secured the gold medal by beating Australia 21-20 in a heart-stopping final, with Mikaylah Williams hitting the game-sealing shot to close it out.
The quartet of Joyce Edwards (South Carolina), Mikaylah Williams (LSU), MiLaysia Fulwiley (LSU), and Sahara Williams (Oklahoma) delivered for their country on the biggest stage in 3×3 basketball — and the ride to gold was nothing short of extraordinary.
The Championship Moment: Williams Ice Cold, Then Ice in Her Veins
The gold medal game against Australia was a thriller that nearly went the wrong way. Before draining the clincher, Williams had missed all four long-range shots she attempted in the gold-medal game. But when the moment demanded greatness, she delivered exactly that.
“I’m just blessed,” Williams said in her postgame interview. “Kudos to my teammates for believing in me to hit that shot. I think, at that point of the game, I just wanted to get it over. I know we needed a good bucket. We weren’t going into overtime, so I did what I had to do.
That clutch shot punctuated a tournament-long performance worthy of the highest individual honor. Williams was named the tournament MVP — a distinction that validated her dominance from start to finish in Warsaw.
Mikaylah Williams: The MVP That Carried USA Throughout
Williams was the engine of Team USA’s entire World Cup run. Her impact was evident from the very first stop. At the first stop in China during the qualifying series, Williams was the leader in scoring and player value rating, earning MVP honors there as well.
Her résumé entering this tournament was already remarkable. Williams holds three FIBA 3×3 U18 World Cup gold medals with MVP honors, having helped win titles consecutively from 2021 through 2023, in addition to being a member of the 2025 USA 3×3 World Cup Team. The 2026 World Cup MVP adds yet another jewel to what is becoming one of the most decorated international careers in women’s college basketball.
In the quarterfinal win over France, Williams set the tone early. She scored a team-high eight points and had one rebound as USA defeated France 18-16 to advance to the semifinals.
Joyce Edwards: The Gamecock Representing with Pride
For South Carolina fans, this championship carries an extra layer of pride. Edwards’ selection to the World Cup roster was her seventh across all USA Basketball events, dating back to her first selection in 2023. She has collected three gold medals in 5×5 events — the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup, 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup, and 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup. The 2026 3×3 World Cup gold now adds a fourth international gold medal to her already extraordinary collection.
Edwards was a consistent contributor throughout the tournament. In the quarterfinal victory over France, Edwards scored six points and pulled down four rebounds — numbers that reflect her value as a two-way presence who does the dirty work that wins championships.
At the qualifying series stop in China, Edwards was the second-leading scorer, third-leading rebounder, and third in player value rating for the team. Her physical presence and length at 6-foot-2 gave Team USA a frontcourt anchor in a format where size and versatility are premium assets.
Her journey to this moment was no accident. During the qualifying FIBA 3×3 Series, in two games against Germany and Poland, Edwards scored 10 points and added 10 rebounds as the United States won both matches to punch their World Cup ticket. She quite literally helped get this team to Warsaw.
MiLaysia Fulwiley: The Scoring Spark off the Bench
The former South Carolina standout — now playing for LSU — played a critical role in the gold medal game itself. Fulwiley scored a team-high nine points in the gold medal game against Australia. That output in the most pressure-filled game of the tournament underscores just how much the Baton Rouge program is represented at the elite international level.
In the quarterfinal against France, Fulwiley contributed three points and three rebounds as part of a balanced team effort that carried USA through the knockout rounds.
Edwards and Fulwiley were also part of USA Basketball’s 3×3 Nations League team last summer, going 14-2 at the tournament in Punta Arenas, Chile, and winning the tournament title. Their familiarity and chemistry built over multiple international campaigns together clearly paid dividends on the Warsaw hardwood.
A Team Built for This Moment
This championship did not happen by accident. The women’s quartet had already won two events together on the 2026 FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series before the World Cup even began — arriving in Poland battle-tested, confident, and playing their best basketball at exactly the right time.
USA Basketball has now won gold four times at the 3×3 World Cup since the tournament’s inception in 2012. This program does not settle for anything less than the top of the podium — and the 2026 edition carried that tradition forward in stunning fashion.
For Joyce Edwards and the Gamecock faithful, this gold medal is another chapter in a remarkable international career that continues to grow. For Williams and Fulwiley, it is validation of LSU’s rising star power on the world stage. And for women’s college basketball as a whole, it is a reminder that the sport’s future has never been brighter. 🥇🇺🇸
