Everything you need to know before FIBA 3x3 Women's Series Constanta Final 2022

16 Sept 2022

CONSTANTA (Romania) - The showpiece women's event of the year has finally arrived and the best teams of the FIBA 3x3 Women's Series 2022 will be putting on a show in iconic Constanta on September 17-18. 

Let's take a closer look at everything you need to know about the Women's Series Final, which has more hype than Serena's farewell at Flushing Meadows. 

Where can I watch the Women's Series Constanta Final?

The action runs from September 17-18, and you can follow it live on the FIBA 3x3 YouTube, Facebook, Sina  Weibo and Douyin pages.

Who is competing in Constanta?

The top seven teams in the regular season rankings and host Romania: Canada, Germany, Spain, France, Lithuania, USA, Dusseldorf ZOOS (GER), Romania

What are the pools?

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Who are the favorites?

These are the best teams of 2022 and six of them tasted victory on the women's pro circuit this season. In other words, they all lay claims to favoritism in some way. 

But that would be quite boring if we're going to put a blanket over everyone. So, even though it's almost an impossible task, let's pick out four teams from the pack.

Firstly, we just can't go past No.1 seed Canada who won 3 titles from 5 stops they played, including the most recent Stop in Montreal

After a heartbreaking loss to France in the final of the Crelan FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2022, Canada have rebounded brilliantly and are peaking at the right time. They won 87% of their games on the Women's Series this year so good luck to anyone who's standing in the way of the Plouffe Sisters' first Women's Series crown.

 

Defending champs Germany haven't quite recaptured their brilliant best from earlier in the season (they won the first 2 stops of the season) but they are always in the mix . The Germans will have their big guns in Constanta and if they fire then back-to-back triumphs is a real possibility. 

No.4 seed France are going for a rare trifecta. World Cup 2022. Check. FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup 2022. Check. Women's Series Final? You better believe they want to end up with more trophies than Zendaya at the Emmys even though they've hit a bit of a wall on the Women's Series recently. 

But with three players returning from their Europe Cup triumph, including Crelan FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2022 MVP Laetitia Guapo, France are well positioned to add some cream to this memorable season. 

Rounding out our contenders was a tough choice but we'll go with USA, who you just know are stacked with talent. It's a well blended team with 2014 world champ Cierra Burdick the team's heart and soul, and the Linnae Harper-Lauren Cox combo getting buckets from any range.

 

Who are the best players?

We've seen a statistical battle all season between towering pair Michelle Plouffe and German Sonja Greinacher, who are 1-2 in most lead categories. Unsurprisingly, they are the top two ranked players in the world and if one of these superstars lead their team to glory then the crown is theirs.

Laetitia Guapo owned 3x3 for a while before a drop off last year saw some questioning whether the Frenchwoman had been overtaken by new sensations. Think again. The 26-year-old proved in Antwerp and Graz why she's one of the best to do it and Guapo isn't nearly finished in 2022. 

 

We mentioned her earlier, but Lauren Cox deserves more limelight because the 6ft. 4in (1.93m) athletic marvel gets it done equally on O and D. The 24-year-old can score from anywhere on the half-court, but she loves nothing more than a personal block party because she defends the rim like her life depends on it. 

If you are looking for perhaps a breakout star it might just be Ama Degbeon, who has led impressive new kids on the block Dusseldorf ZOOS (GER) into the last dance.

The towering 6ft. 2in (1.88m) 'Amageddon' is especially dominant in the paint, where she can feast all game long. 

FIBA