By 
GLASGOW — Fast, furious, and relentlessly physical, 3×3 basketball is set to take over the SEC Centre Hall 4 at the Commonwealth Games, and Australia is bringing a powerhouse 16-athlete roster primed for a medal hunt.
Across both the standard 3×3 (Gangurrus) and Wheelchair 3×3 (Wombats) divisions, Australia is fielding four distinct four-player squads. What makes this contingent particularly compelling is its dramatic blend of fresh blood and seasoned leadership, spanning an extraordinary 24-year age gap.
A Generational Divide Driven by Gold Aspirations
At one end of the spectrum is 16-year-old Ebony Stevenson, the youngest athlete on the entire Wombats roster and a symbol of Australia’s deep pipeline of emerging talent. At the other stands 40-year-old veteran Jesse Wagstaff, a man whose career uniquely connects two distinct eras of Australian basketball.
Wagstaff captured gold with the traditional five-a-side Boomers at Gold Coast 2018, before pivoting to claim 3×3 silver at Birmingham 2022. Now entering his third Commonwealth Games, his leadership will be crucial for a team featuring 12 total debutants.
“Wagstaff’s story has evolved with the sport itself… a rare through-line connecting two different eras of Australian basketball.”
Australia enters Glasgow carrying serious momentum. The Gangurrus women arrive fresh off an agonizingly close 21–20 loss to the United States in the FIBA 3×3 World Cup final in Warsaw—marking the nation’s best-ever finish at the event. Meanwhile, the Wombats women and men are coming off third and fifth-place finishes, respectively, at the inaugural IWBF 3×3 World Championships.
AUSTRALIAN STATE REPRESENTATION IN GLASGOW• Western Australia: 6 athletes• New South Wales: 4 athletes• Victoria: 2 athletes• Queensland: 2 athletes• Northern Territory: 1 athlete• South Australia: 1 athlete(Data source: Team Australia)
High Octane, No Rest: How 3×3 Works
For the uninitiated, 3×3 basketball is a relentless half-court sprint. There are no quarters, no half-times, and a punishing 12-second shot clock governs every single possession.
| Rule / Element | 3×3 Standard | 3×3 Wheelchair |
| Court & Hoop | Half-court, single basket | Half-court, single basket |
| Duration | 10 mins or first to 21 points | 10 mins or first to 21 points |
| Scoring | 1 point (inside arc), 2 points (outside) | 1 point (inside arc), 2 points (outside) |
| Key Restriction | Immediate possession switch after scores | Max 8.5 total classification points on court |
In the wheelchair format, players are allowed only two chair pushes once the ball is picked up or rests on their lap before they must shoot, pass, or dribble to avoid a travelling violation.
Expanded Fields and Storylines to Watch
The stakes are higher than ever in Glasgow. The 3×3 tournaments have expanded significantly since Birmingham: the wheelchair competition has grown from six to eight teams, while the standard 3×3 field has ballooned to 12 nations per division.
Keep an eye out for international drama, too. Tyler Baines, who claimed bronze for England at Birmingham 2022, will suit up for host nation Scotland this time around after switching allegiance to honor his heritage.
Australia historically dominates the Commonwealth hardwood, leading the all-time medal table across all formats with eight total medals—five of them gold. With 13 sessions running from July 24 to July 29 across four gold medal events, expect the Aussies to be right in the thick of the fight for the top step of the podium.
