Shanice Beckford-Norton hopes to see more fans than ever before tune into 3x3 basketball as the sport returns to the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow 2026.

Birmingham 2022 saw 3x3 take centre stage, with Team England's men's and women's squads taking home gold and silver respectively during its debut at the Friendly Games.

Played with only half a court and just one hoop, 3x3 is a faster, more intense experience than full court basketball, with teams allowed only 12 seconds in possession before attempting a shot and Beckford-Norton is welcoming its return at Glasgow 2026 with open arms.

“It’s massive to see it come back, she said. "It’s such a different sport to 5-on-5. For one, it being outdoors in such a different environment, having live music and an emcee the entire game creates such a different feel to what basketball is traditionally viewed as.

“Basketball started on the streets so I think it’s great to have 3x3 because it opens up opportunities for what sort of people can play the sport.

“It’s slightly different in style, faster in pace and you see different players playing it and moves you don’t see in an indoor game. It’s an exhilarating sport and I hope it gets more fans.”  

Birmingham 2022 marked Beckford-Norton's first Commonwealth Games for Team England, where the guard featured as part of the England squad that reached the gold medal game before falling to Canada.

While she admits her immediate reaction to taking silver was disappointment, Beckford-Norton hopes to use the lessons learned from the experience to go one better in Glasgow.

She reflected: “There were mixed emotions taking silver, to be honest. Having beaten Australia in the semi-final, such a renowned squad in 3x3, was huge for us. With how competitive it was, it felt like a final in of itself.


“Mentally, that game prepared us for the final and then we unfortunately fell short and our immediate reaction was upset and disappointment but then our vet Chantelle Handy snapped us back to reality and was like ‘You guys we just won silver at the Commonwealth Games.’

“A medal is still a massive achievement having been so new to the game as well with just starting prep the year prior and then such an intense summer in 2022. It was a huge achievement for us and the guys were super proud of us as well.”

Standing on top of the podium isn't the only thing on Beckford-Norton's mind when it comes to what Glasgow 2026 will offer.

With the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games taking place only two years later, the 29-year-old believes the Friendly Games is the ideal stage to showcase what British basketball has to offer, with Team Scotland and Team Northern Ireland also set to be in the mix.

She added: “If we talk about world stage and major competitions, both Glasgow and LA are on my mind right now, so medalling in Glasgow is just a stepping stone to LA 2028 and show what we can do.

“Just like Birmingham, it's going to be super competitive, teams are really going to go for it and it’s going to come down to the preparations that we have and our self-belief in the tournament and everyone staying together.

“It’s a much smaller group of people so you’re able to bond a lot more and build chemistry more and that’s something that helped us the first time around and that’ll help us this time.”