Feagin Leads USA to 3x3 Gold at U23 World Cup

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s basketball senior Sania Feagin led the United States to gold in the 2024 FIBA 3×3 U23 World Cup in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The Gamecock forward was the tournament’s top scorer with 44 points over her seven games, which led to MVP honors.

The American team was undefeated heading into Sunday’s knockout rounds, and dispatched France 21-11 in just under eight minutes in the quarterfinals with Feagin notching six points, including three free throws as the French struggled to control her inside. In the semifinals against China, the U.S. needed the entire 10 minutes to grind out a 19-10 win that sent them to the gold medal game thanks to Feagin netting four of the final six points of the game.

In the final game, the Netherlands pushed back on a 4-2 U.S. advantage with an 8-2 run to take a 10-6 lead midway through the 10-minute game. Feagin ended a 4-0 surge with a bucket and scored half the Americans’ points in a 4-0 run that knotted the game with 3:28 to play. The two teams traded baskets until the U.S. opened things up with outside shooting, scoring five straight points, including an inside move by Feagin to stake out a 16-12 advantage that the Netherlands could not overcome. Feagin added five points to the 18-15 victory that delivered gold to the United States for the first time since the event’s inception in 2019.

The gold medal was Feagin’s second in international play, following her role in the U.S. win at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup (5×5).

Continue to check GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockWBB) for the most up-to-date information on the women’s basketball season.