SPRINGFIELD (USA) - It's time for the best women's 3x3 players to dominate the half-court. 

The long wait for the FIBA 3x3 Women's Series 2024 will be worth it with the season launching in style at the Springfield Stop on April 23-24.

This season will be a marathon with 20 stops confirmed as Springfield becomes the first-ever Women's Series event in the USA since the competition launched in 2019. 

Let's take a deeper look at the season-opener.

The Favorites

The draw features some of the best teams in the business, but we have to start with the reigning world champions USA, who will be extra pumped up in front of their fans. 

Superstars Hailey Van Lith and OG Cierra Burdick will once again form a dynamic one-two punch, but USA will face an early test against France in a rematch of last year's World Cup final. 

Powerhouse France will bring back three players from their World Cup silver medal winning team, including 3x3 legend Laetitia Guapo. 

They should be mad at us for not starting with them because No.1 seed Canada have built up a formidable CV over the years.

No.1 ranked player in the world Katherine Plouffe will be out to continue making the paint her personal playground as she aims to ignite Canada early in the season. 

No.4 seed Germany can't be left off the list of contenders because they have scoring machine Sonja Greinacher, who is not only an athletic marvel but boasts an incredibly high IQ on the half-court. 

The Field

Hometown heroes Springfield (USA) will no doubt make sure their fans have plenty to cheer about.

They will need World Cup MVP Cameron Brink to rediscover her heroics and if she can do that then Springfield can make an immediate statement on the Women's Series. 

There is a lot of attention on Freiburg (GER) and their young star Pauline Marie Mayer, who has dominated at youth level and is ready to make the next step. 

Puerto Rico are a mighty proud 3x3 nation and they'll lean on one of their greats - Mari Placido, who isn't just a walking bucket because she can dish up a dime so perfect that it should be served on a plate.

Last but not least is Calgary (CAN), who will be out to show off Canada's depth of talent as they unleash their New Gen. 

Pools

Pool A: Canada, Germany, Springfield, Puerto Rico 
Pool B:  France, USA, Calgary, Freiburg 

How to watch

The two-day extravaganza is on April 23-24 and you can follow it live on the FIBA 3x3 YouTube and Facebook pages.

FIBA