BENDIGO Braves and Spirit player Alex Wilson has helped Australia book its place in this year's 3x3 basketball at the Olympic Games.
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Australia won the the FIBA 3x3 Universality Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Japan after beating Canada 19-16 in the final.
The victorious Gungurrus squad has a strong connection with basketball in Bendigo.
Not only does it feature current Braves and Spirit player Wilson, but also former Bendigo Spirit players Anneli Maley and Marena Whittle.
Wilson helped to seal the win in the final for the Gungurrus with a pair of clutch free throws and a block, while Maley was named MVP of the tournament.
This year in Paris will be the first time Australia has been represented in the 3x3 basketball at the Olympics.
"I'm so proud of us. As a group we worked so hard and this was our only shot... to come out here and play the way we did, I'm so proud," Maley said after the victory over Canada.
The Gungurrus booking their ticket to Paris follows their success in the Asia Cup in March.
3x3 basketball made its Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2021.
The game is played on a half-court with three players per side instead of the traditional five.
There is a 12 second shot clock, while scoring is via two-point and one-point shots, as well as free throws.
FIBA-sanctioned 3x3 games are played over a 10-minute period or the first team to reach 21 points.
The 3x3 basketball at the Paris Olympics will begin on July 30, with Australia joining France, USA, China and Azerbaijan as women's teams competing.
While on international duties representing Australia Wilson has missed the past three games for the Bendigo Braves women in the NBL1.
