Aug. 27, 2012

STANFORD, Calif. - Chiney Ogwumike and the USA Basketball Women's 3x3 Team finished a perfect 9-0 run with a 17-16 win over France Sunday to capture the gold medal at the inaugural FIBA 3x3 World Championship for Women in Athens, Greece.

The win marks the third FIBA gold medal for Ogwumike, who will enter her junior year on The Farm in 2012-13. She previously won FIBA gold at the 2011 World University Games and the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship.

The U.S. team, consisting of Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins (Notre Dame), Bria Hartley (Connecticut) and Ann Strother, faced deficits of 7-2 and 13-10 against France in Sunday's final before coming back. The U.S. would go on a 5-0 run from there and eventually built a 17-16 lead with two seconds remaining. The defense of Ogwumike and her teammates prevented the French from getting a good shot away and the gold went to the Americans.

Playing half-court, the 3x3 games last either 10 minutes or until one team reaches 21 points. Field goals inside the arc are worth one point, with shots outside the arc worth two points. Teams contend with a 12-second shot clock and when gaining possession in the run of play must clear the ball outside of the arc before beginning its offensive set.

This past collegiate season Ogwumike was named to the WBCA Coaches' All-America Team while also being a finalist for the Wade Trophy and the WBCA's Defensive Player of the Year award. She averaged 15.0 points and 10.1 rebounds a game, in addition to ranking fourth nationally with a 58.3 field-goal percentage. Along with her older sister, Nnemkadi (22.5 ppg, 10.2 rpg), Chiney became one of just five Cardinal players to average a double-double in a single season, joining Nicole Powell (2003-04), Jeanne Ruark (1979-80) and Kathy Murphy (1977-78).

In addition to the national honors, Chiney was also named to the All-Pac-12 Team and Pac-12 All-Defensive Team for the second year in a row, and became the second Stanford player to be named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year.