Cuba Secures First Victory in 3x3 Basketball AmeriCup

Cuba held the lead for nearly the entire game, relying on its taller lineup and dominance in the paint, led by Anisleidy Galindo, according to the page Cuba camino a Los Ángeles 2028.

The Cuban team faces a demanding three-game schedule during the AmeriCup 2026 qualifying round, which will determine its path to the main draw.

The tournament is taking place through November 1 at Plaza Merliot in Santa Tecla, located in the San Salvador metropolitan area.

Cuba competes in Group B of the qualifying phase alongside the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Saint Lucia.

The island's roster features Keila Sagarra Agüero, Anisleidis Galindo González, Rachel Contreras Díaz, and Liset Valdés Santacruz.

The Cuban delegation is guided by head coach Ernesto Wright Suárez and team delegate Dalia Henry Hernández.

Sagarra and Contreras bring recent experience from representing Cuba in this discipline at the Santo Domingo 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games, where they teamed up with Eugenia Fraguela and Nahomis Vargas.

The team's immediate objective is to win the group, which is the sole pathway to remain in contention.

If the Cuban squad secures first place in its pool, it will advance to Pool C of the main draw, where Chile and Mexico await.

In that stage, the top two teams will advance to the quarterfinals.

Among the main obstacles is the Dominican Republic, the reigning Central American and Caribbean champion, after claiming the title in Santo Domingo 2026 with a 21-11 victory over Venezuela in the final.

3x3 basketball is played on a half-court with a single hoop.

Each team registers four players—three on the court and one substitute.

Matches feature a single 10-minute period of regulation playing time, though games end early if a team reaches 21 points.

In the event of a tie at the end of regulation, an overtime period is played, with the first team to score two points declared the winner.

The Cuban women aim to advance past the qualifying stage once again, mirroring their performance in San Juan 2024, where they reached the quarterfinals and finished eighth overall.