Wootten 150: FIBA 3X3 Winners
The 2024 Wootten 150 Camp group photo. (Includes Players, Staff, and McDonald's All-American Committee Members.)
FIBA 3X3 Championship
Written by Alexa Wootten
September 27-28 | Las Vegas, NV
It was Jhai Johnson (2026), Jemini Mitchell (2027), Jessie Moses (2027), and Mia Pauldo (2025) who left the Wootten 150 as the winners of the FIBA 3X3 tournament - a tournament all about creating space on the floor, constant ball rotations, quick-decision making, and of course scoring.
(Left to Right) Mitchell, Moses, Pauldo, Johnson
“I feel like we’re all shooters,” Pauldo said. “I mean, we were just knocking down shots, and we have the athleticism to play defense and offense. So it just worked, all together.”
In FIBA 3X3, you clear the ball after a rebound or made shot by bringing it out behind the three-point line (whether it's dribbling it out yourself or a pass). This group moved the ball with a purpose, whether it was grabbing the board and quickly getting outside or grabbing the ball off the made shot and a quick kick to the corner for a three, they used quickness to their advantage.
“I feel like going back to before, like, everyone's not selfish,” Moses said, “So I feel like moving the ball. And we were also rebounding really well.”
Each member played their part well. On the offensive side, Moses was a constant threat knocking down a string of threes, while Mitchell had great flashes to the ball and finished it up with buckets. Pauldo, the coach on the floor, continued to set up her teammates for looks. And Johnson, with her long wingspan, constantly contested the opposing team’s shots and played standard fundamental defense
Many elements of FIBA 3X3 basketball translate to game-play. As these players continue their high school play and move onto the next level, movement off-ball is huge. Being able to create space, get teammates open and create opportunity for yourself off ball is a major element to the college and WNBA game.
“I would definitely say the movement,” Pauldo said when asked how three-vs-three translates to her five-on-five game. “Knowing what to do without the ball. Especially because when there's more people on the floor, five-vs-five, you got to learn how to move away from the ball, screen away. And I feel like that translates to the actual game of basketball. So you have to know what to do without the ball in your hand.”
Pauldo will play for the University of Tennessee next year after finishing her senior year at Morris Catholic. Moses (Westtown School) and Mitchell (Cypress Springs High School) will begin their sophomore campaigns, and Johnson will begin her junior campaign at Oakland Technical High School.
