What started as a weekend tournament with a few Sun Devil teammates has turned into an opportunity to play for Team USA for ASU forward McKinna Brackens.
This spring, Brackens participated in a 3X3 basketball tournament put on by Team USA in Mesa. It was a fun way to spend a weekend, but nothing more…or so she thought.
Weeks later, she got a call that she was going to be one of six players representing her country in the 2026 FIBA Americas 3X3 U23 Nation’s League in Maipu, Chile.
Brackens and her teammates are currently training in Miami ahead of the the league, which kicks off on June 27.
She caught up with Sports360AZ to talk about the experience, the differences between 3X3 and 5X5 and where she hopes to grow as a player and teammate when she returns to Tempe.
Jordan Hamm
