Tori McKinney helped push Team USA to the top of the podium early Saturday morning, as the Americans beat Canada 15-10 to win the gold medal at the 2026 Women’s Under-23 3x3 FIBA World Cup.
For the United States women, it was the second gold in the competition, which was founded in 2018. Their first title came in 2024.
Team USA came in as the No. 4 seed among 20 teams and was the top seed in Pool D. The Americans rolled through pool play with a 3-0 record to secure a spot in the bracket before choosing to forfeit their final game against Australia so they could rest and get ready for the title run the next day.
That decision paid off once the knockout rounds arrived in the early hours of Saturday. The quarterfinals brought a 21-17 win over the Netherlands, and the semifinals followed with a 21-16 victory against Spain. That set up the gold medal matchup with Canada - the same opponent the USA would have seen had it played and beaten Australia to complete a perfect pool sweep.
The championship game was a grind. With defense tight and fatigue setting in during the third game of the day, points were hard to come by.
Team USA’s defense was a big reason the run held together. The Americans allowed the fewest points per game of any team that advanced to the bracket stage, and McKinney was central to that effort as the team’s tallest and longest defender. She used that length to record blocks in both the semifinal and the gold medal game.
McKinney also made her presence felt on the other end. She averaged more than 5 points per game as Team USA’s second-leading scorer, and when the pressure rose, she delivered even more. She led the team in scoring in the final two games of the tournament.
In Other News...
Gophers May Have Found A Different Way To Win Without Darius Taylor
Minnesota found a different formula Saturday in a 41-7 win over Akron, one that leaned far less on the ground game than usual and far more on Drake Lindseys arm. With top running back Darius Taylor sidelined by injury, the Gophers spread the ball around and let Lindsey take charge, and he responded with 204 passing yards and three touchdowns in a performance that gave the offense a cleaner rhythm than the setting might have suggested.
The passing game was only part of the story. Minnesota also got a lift from special teams, which helped tilt field position with key returns and a fumble recovery, while Akron lost starting quarterback Sebastian Broughton to a knee injury along the way. For the Gophers, the broader question now is whether this was just a one-game adjustment or a glimpse at another way to win if Taylor is unavailable again. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Suddenly Face A Darius Taylor Concern They Can't Ignore
Minnesotas backfield took an immediate hit this week, with Darius Taylor ruled out for the Akron game because of a lower-body injury he dealt with before and during the Mississippi State matchup. Taylor was limited in that game, and head coach P.J. Fleck has described him as day-to-day, which leaves the Gophers juggling workload and health at a spot they would rather keep steady early in the season.
With Taylor and freshman Ryan Estrada unavailable, A.J. Turner and T.J. Thomas are in line to handle the running back duties against Akron. For Minnesota, the bigger concern is less about one game than about how quickly Taylor can get back to being the kind of reliable option the offense has leaned on, because the depth chart already looks thinner than the Gophers would like. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Got The Bounce-Back They Needed Before Big Ten Play
After a rough stretch, Minnesota got the kind of response it wanted by rolling past Akron 41-7 and heading toward Big Ten play with a little more momentum. Lindsey was efficient through the air, throwing for 204 yards and three touchdowns, while the ground game did enough to keep the offense balanced and on schedule.
TJ Thomas added the kind of burst that can change the feel of a game, breaking loose for a 71-yard touchdown as the Gophers piled up 191 rushing yards. Akrons early quarterback injury to Cibastian Broughton also altered the flow of the night, but Minnesota will mostly take away the bigger picture: a clean, decisive win at the right time, with conference play now waiting to test whether the bounce-back holds. [Read more 🡒]