Tori McKinney Joins Team USA for 2026 FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup
Tori McKinney’s rise continues. This time, on the world stage.
The Minnesota guard has earned a spot on Team USA for the 2026 FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup in Wuhan, China, after helping the Americans storm through the Americas Conference this summer. The group clinched its ticket by winning the Americas Conference title in July, turning a long week in Chile into a launchpad toward a global tournament.
That qualifying event, staged from June 27 to July 3 in Ñuñoa, Chile, unfolded over six intense days, broken into a series of individual “stops.” The format rewarded consistency and resilience more than one-off brilliance. Team USA delivered both. They dominated the Americas North division, piling up enough points across those stops to secure the conference’s lone World Cup berth.
Now the reward is clear: Wuhan, Sept. 15-19, 2026, with a world title on the line.
3x3 is not a gentle introduction to international basketball. It’s played on a half-court, with a 12-second shot clock that punishes hesitation and indecision. Games race to 21 points or end after 10 minutes. There is no hiding, no coasting, no time to ease into a rhythm. Every possession is a sprint, every mistake magnified.
It suits McKinney.
The Minnetonka native is coming off a breakout sophomore season in which she helped drag Minnesota back into national relevance. The Golden Gophers reached the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in more than 20 years, and McKinney’s fingerprints were all over that run. She became the engine of the Maroon and Gold offense, a guard who could both organize and attack, and who rarely wasted a possession.
Her numbers tell the story. She averaged a team-high 12.7 points per game, up from 10.6 as a freshman, and set a program single-season record with a 2.20 assist-to-turnover ratio. Coaches recognized her impact, voting her Second Team All-Big Ten, while the media placed her on the Third Team. She also earned a spot on the All-Big Ten Defensive Team, underscoring how complete her game has become.
Down the stretch, she shifted into an even higher gear. Over Minnesota’s final 11 regular-season games, McKinney averaged 15.9 points, dished out 33 assists, and led the team with 24 steals. When the schedule tightened and possessions grew heavier, she sharpened her decision-making and ramped up her pressure on both ends of the floor.
That blend of control, scoring punch, and defensive edge translates perfectly to 3x3, where one player can tilt the entire game.
USA Roster for Wuhan
- McKinna Brackens (Arizona State)
- Dani Carnegie (Iowa)
- Katie Fiso (Oregon)
- Tori McKinney (Minnesota)
Four players, one half-court, 10 minutes at a time. McKinney has already helped Minnesota break a two-decade barrier. The next question is whether she and this young USA group can turn a dominant qualifying run into a world title run in 2026.
