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/ Women's BasketballBraun and Team USA Win FIBA Nations League Championship
9/15/2023 8:05:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Braun was the co-leader in scoring for Team USA in the final against China.
MINNEAPOLIS -- For the first time in history, the United States has won the FIBA 3x3 Nations League Final with the help of Minnesota rising sophomore Mara Braun. The Red, White and Blue U21 squad captured the title in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, taking down Egypt, the U23 United States team and China on their way to the historic victory.
Braun saved one of her best performances for last, co-leading the United States in scoring in the championship game against China by scoring six of the team points in the 19-18 win. On top of being the first United States team, men or women, to win the Nations League Final the quartet of Braun, Christina Dalce (Villanova), Morgan Maly (Creighton) and Lucy Olson (Villanova) also became the first women's U21 team to win the event.
Braun on average scored four points per game, totaling 24 points during the six games played on September 13 during pool play and September 15 in bracket play. The team finished 6-0 overall and, combined with their record at the Nations League event in Handan, China, finished with a record of 21-1.
The quarterfinal matchup for the United States saw Egypt take an early advantage with multiple two-point shots to lead 5-2. The Red, White and Blue clawed back to 6-6 before Egypt took back a small lead with 6:03 to go. At 5:41, Braun hit a two-point shot to put the United States back in front but the Egyptians would not back down. The United States had to come up big on the defensive end late and scored the final five points to come from behind and clinch the 21-17 victory.
In the all-United States semifinal the U21 squad had to best their own to advance to the championship. After trading buckets early, the U21 United States team took the lead for good at the 8:59 mark. The lead grew to as much as six throughout the contest for the younger US team, and eventually a bucket from Dalce with 2:43 clinched the fastest win of the entire Nations League Final (including pool play) in just seven minutes and 16 seconds.
Adversity would hit the Red, White and Blue in the final against China, falling behind by as much as three with 5:22 to go. Then, Braun took over. The rising sophomore scored all six of her points between the 5:22 mark and the 1:28 mark which gave the United States a 16-14 lead with just 88 seconds remaining. China then responded with three straight points to take an 17-16 lead with 50 seconds to go but Dalce forced her way into the paint to score back-to-back buckets to tie the game at 18 with just 21 seconds to go. After a China turnover, the US had possession with 12.8 seconds to go, and that's when Morgan Maly snagged an offensive rebound and put in the winning bucket with three seconds to go to give the United States of America their first Nations League Final championship.
The 2023 Nations League final featured 10 different countries on the women's side with Team USA, France, Egypt and Germany all qualifying two women's teams. Different from 5-on-5, 3x3 is played on a half-court with a 10-minute game clock and 12-second shot clock. Play is continuous, as teams "clear" the ball behind the 2-point line following a made basket, defensive rebound or steal. The first team to score 21 points via 1-point field goals or 2-pointers behind the arc is victorious; or if time expires then the team leading wins.
For more information on the Gophers, continue to check back with GopherSports.com. Keep up with the University of Minnesota women's basketball on Twitter and Instagram (@GopherWBB) and on Facebook, so you do not miss any content during the offseason.
Team USA FIBA Nations League Final Results
Pool Play:
United States U21 defeats Spain 19-12
United States U21 defeats France U23 (21-18)
United States U21 defeats Jordan 22-9
Bracket Play
United States U21 defeats Egypt 21-17 (Women's Quarterfinals)
United States U21 defeats United States U23 21-17 (Women's Semifinals)
United States U21 defeats China 19-18 (Women's Final)
Braun saved one of her best performances for last, co-leading the United States in scoring in the championship game against China by scoring six of the team points in the 19-18 win. On top of being the first United States team, men or women, to win the Nations League Final the quartet of Braun, Christina Dalce (Villanova), Morgan Maly (Creighton) and Lucy Olson (Villanova) also became the first women's U21 team to win the event.
Braun on average scored four points per game, totaling 24 points during the six games played on September 13 during pool play and September 15 in bracket play. The team finished 6-0 overall and, combined with their record at the Nations League event in Handan, China, finished with a record of 21-1.
The quarterfinal matchup for the United States saw Egypt take an early advantage with multiple two-point shots to lead 5-2. The Red, White and Blue clawed back to 6-6 before Egypt took back a small lead with 6:03 to go. At 5:41, Braun hit a two-point shot to put the United States back in front but the Egyptians would not back down. The United States had to come up big on the defensive end late and scored the final five points to come from behind and clinch the 21-17 victory.
In the all-United States semifinal the U21 squad had to best their own to advance to the championship. After trading buckets early, the U21 United States team took the lead for good at the 8:59 mark. The lead grew to as much as six throughout the contest for the younger US team, and eventually a bucket from Dalce with 2:43 clinched the fastest win of the entire Nations League Final (including pool play) in just seven minutes and 16 seconds.
Adversity would hit the Red, White and Blue in the final against China, falling behind by as much as three with 5:22 to go. Then, Braun took over. The rising sophomore scored all six of her points between the 5:22 mark and the 1:28 mark which gave the United States a 16-14 lead with just 88 seconds remaining. China then responded with three straight points to take an 17-16 lead with 50 seconds to go but Dalce forced her way into the paint to score back-to-back buckets to tie the game at 18 with just 21 seconds to go. After a China turnover, the US had possession with 12.8 seconds to go, and that's when Morgan Maly snagged an offensive rebound and put in the winning bucket with three seconds to go to give the United States of America their first Nations League Final championship.
The 2023 Nations League final featured 10 different countries on the women's side with Team USA, France, Egypt and Germany all qualifying two women's teams. Different from 5-on-5, 3x3 is played on a half-court with a 10-minute game clock and 12-second shot clock. Play is continuous, as teams "clear" the ball behind the 2-point line following a made basket, defensive rebound or steal. The first team to score 21 points via 1-point field goals or 2-pointers behind the arc is victorious; or if time expires then the team leading wins.
For more information on the Gophers, continue to check back with GopherSports.com. Keep up with the University of Minnesota women's basketball on Twitter and Instagram (@GopherWBB) and on Facebook, so you do not miss any content during the offseason.
Team USA FIBA Nations League Final Results
Pool Play:
United States U21 defeats Spain 19-12
United States U21 defeats France U23 (21-18)
United States U21 defeats Jordan 22-9
Bracket Play
United States U21 defeats Egypt 21-17 (Women's Quarterfinals)
United States U21 defeats United States U23 21-17 (Women's Semifinals)
United States U21 defeats China 19-18 (Women's Final)
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