3XBA aims sky high

What you probably already know: The WNBA has only 156 players. The Unrivaled basketball league has only eight teams and 48 players. In other words, there’s not much opportunity for the 17,000 or so college women basketball players across the United States. A new 3-on-3 basketball league is out to change that. Seattle-based 3XBA launched last year and is now in its second season. So far, only 32 athletes compete on eight separate teams during summer, but co-founder Alanna McDonald envisions a robust youth development pipeline across the U.S. and internationally. McDonald previously spent five years building a 3-on-3 pilot program for the WNBA from within the Seattle Storm front office called Force 10 (named after the Storm’s ownership group).

Why? McDonald, a former professional volleyball player, notes that the league aims to provide opportunities for girls, whether they’re seeking elite competition such as the Olympics, professionally or for those interested in recreational participation. “The younger generations are going to feel more incentivized to continue playing from a young age because they recognize there’s a viable pathway for them to make a living out of it,” she says. “I would say that, for girls, there’s even more barriers to participation than young boys.” Jen Barnes, owner of Seattle’s Rough & Tumble sports bar — the league’s first jersey patch partner — adds that girls “have to see they have an opportunity.”

What it means: Through partnerships with the likes of FIBA and USA Basketball, McDonald is working to expand the reach of 3-on-3 basketball across the U.S. and internationally. Olympic 3-on-3 basketball made its debut at the 2020 Tokyo Games for both men and women and was first played at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. 3XBA held its first tournament in Texas last year and held another this past summer at The Spokane Hoopfest, which calls itself the world’s largest 3-on-3 tourney. The league doesn’t pay salaries — it’s a prize money-based sport, meaning players are rewarded for winning. Twenty percent of the league’s players were WNBA draft picks in 2025.

What happens now? McDonald has big plans. 3XBA is launching year-round co-ed youth programs as well as spaces designed specifically for girls (camps, clinics, tournaments, leagues). 3XBA is now in four markets — Dallas, Spokane, Seattle and Charlotte — but plans to branch out across the U.S. It has entered into international collaborations and has organized clinics in Thailand and Cameroon. McDonald is especially focused on the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Two Olympians (one from Nigeria and one from Germany) are already in the program. “(3XBA) is completely inclusive, and we make sure to design our programs for whichever community we’re going into,” McDonald says. “This is part of building the holistic community and creating spaces. There are all sorts of ways to customize it to the needs of where we are going.”