While the spotlight of women’s basketball shines bright on the WNBA’s opening week, USA Basketball is quietly building its next generation of 3×3 stars in the desert. Nine young athletes have been selected to participate in the 2026 USA Basketball 3×3 Women’s Development Camp, running May 6–8 in Phoenix, Arizona — a critical proving ground ahead of the 3X Showcase on May 9–10 at Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa.
The development camp serves as an opportunity for athletes to hone their skills in a competitive and educational environment, with both the 3X Showcase and the camp functioning as an evaluation tool for selection to future USA Basketball 3×3 national teams and other opportunities.
The Nine Athletes
Expected to participate in the development camp are Imari Berry, Mikayla Blakes, Mara Braun, Nyla Brooks, Dani Carnegie, Katie Fiso, Ava Heiden, ZaKiyah Johnson, and Tori McKinney — four of whom bring previous USA Basketball experience to the camp.
These nine athletes represent a blend of seasoned program veterans and fresh faces eager to cement their place in USA Basketball’s pipeline. Two four-member teams for the 3X Showcase will be created directly from the development camp participants, meaning every rep, every possession, and every shot in Phoenix carries real weight — the best performers walk away with a spot on a Showcase roster and a step closer to future national team consideration.
The development camp will be led by veteran USA 3×3 coaches Todd Monsey and Julia Ford, in addition to Jonneshia Pineda and Joi Williams, who are making their USA 3×3 coaching debuts. It is a coaching staff that blends experience with fresh energy, mirroring the dynamic of the roster itself.
Why Joyce Edwards and Milaysia Fulwiley Aren’t Here
The notable absences of Joyce Edwards and Milaysia Fulwiley from this development camp roster are not a matter of oversight — quite the opposite. Both players are simply too busy being stars at the next level.
USA Basketball selected Edwards and Fulwiley, alongside Mikaylah Williams and Sahara Williams, as the four athletes to represent the United States in the 2026 FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series, which opened May 1 in Chengdu, China. That is the highest tier of 3×3 international competition — the active national team circuit — placing both athletes well beyond the development camp level.
Their performances in Chengdu proved exactly why they weren’t in Phoenix with the development group. The USA Women opened the 2026 FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series with a statement, capturing their first title on the circuit since 2024, defeating Germany 20-18 in a down-to-the-wire final. MiLaysia Fulwiley brought disruption in the passing lane while Joyce Edwards kept the interior congested, forcing key stops to keep the U.S. within striking distance throughout the contest.
In the semifinal, the USA showed incredible resilience against Poland, winning 21-20, with Fulwiley delivering the game-winning floater after a back-and-forth battle that went down to the wire.
Simply put, Edwards and Fulwiley are already operating at the top of the 3×3 mountain. For Edwards in particular, the Chengdu assignment marked her sixth USA Basketball selection overall, adding to a decorated résumé that includes three gold medals in 5-on-5 competition — at the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup, the 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup, and the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup.
The development camp in Phoenix is where the next Joyce Edwards and next Milaysia Fulwiley will be discovered — and this week, nine hungry athletes have their shot to prove they belong in that conversation.
The 2026 USA Basketball 3X Women’s Showcase takes place May 9–10 at Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa, Arizona.
