News that former Valkyries rookie Kaitlyn Chen had joined FIBA's 3XBA league at the end of May piqued the curiosity of plenty of women's basketball fans, especially those who have never heard of the league. Chen will play in the upcoming Spokane Hoop Fest, which kicks off on June 28, 2025.
If Chen's team is successful, they will move on to the next stop in tournament play, Edmonton. She could even up qualifying for the Olympic Games in 2028, which will be hosted in Los Angeles.
On top of that, playing in the league will give Chen the opportunity to potentially make it back to the WNBA. Chen was waived by the team just before the beginning of the season. Chen was selected by the Valkyries in the third round of this year's draft. The 5'9" guard played for Geno Auriemma for a season as a graduate transfer after spending four years at Princeton. Chen was the fourth Ivy player to be drafted into the WNBA in the last two years and averaged 15.8 points, 4.9 assists and 3.5 rebounds her senior year — she also played an instrumental role in leading the Princeton Tigers to the NCAA tournament three years in a row.
What is FIBA 3XBA?
FIBA 3XBA is the only professional FIBA 3x3 league in the United States. Like Athletes Unlimited and Unrivaled, the league offers women's basketball players the opportunity to play the sport outside of the WNBA, and without having to travel overseas.
The league is still young. Last year, WNBA fans got a glimpse of its potential when Team USA faced off against the U23 squad in a 3x3 match between the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Tournament at WNBA All-Star. 3XBA was founded by Alanna McDonald, who spent several years ahead of the league's launch attempting to bring a pro 3x3 league to the United States.
How does FIBA 3XBA work?
The gameplay is like the 3x3 format in the Olympics — 10-minute games, 12-second shot clock. Players who participate in 3XBA games also earn points toward their own FIBA ranking, which can help qualify the United States for the Olympics.
Is FIBA 3XBA just like Unrivaled?
The league is likely to remind some of Unrivaled, the professional 3x3 league founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, but there are actually significant differences between the two. Unrivaled does not follow the FIBA 3x3 format or court specifications (the Unrivaled court is 70x50 feet; 3XBA games are played on a 49x36-foot court). Unrivaled matches are also played in four quarters that span an hour.