SINT MAARTEN/CURACAO – What began as a women’s 3x3 basketball initiative on Sint Maarten took another significant step toward becoming a regional platform this weekend, as Her Way made its first trip to Curacao for its largest event to date.
Her Way Takes on Curacao featured 25 teams competing across four age categories – 12U, 15U, 18U and Senior Women – bringing together players from Curacao, Sint Maarten, Anguilla and other participating small islands.
The event’s roots can be traced to December 2025, when the Curacao Women’s Basketball Association of Curacao participated in a Her Way tournament on Sint Maarten. The Curacao delegation connected strongly with the concept and subsequently approached Her Way founder Paul Bell about bringing the initiative to Curacao, together with the teams and small islands that had become part of the Her Way experience.
Nice months later, that request became reality.
The weekend produced four different champions, with both Curacao and Sint Maarten represented among the winners.
In the Senior Women division, Team Xtreme of St. Maarten completed a perfect tournament, finishing 4-0 to claim the title. The St. Maarten side’s unbeaten run highlighted the competitive level of the senior division and provided another strong showing for the women’s 3x3 program from the island.
Curacao teams captured the remaining three age categories. Team Orguyoso won the 18U division, Team Mystics claimed the 15U championship, while Team Neon took the 12U title.
Beyond the results, the tournament reflected one of Her Way’s central objectives: creating a pathway for girls to enter the sport at a young age and continue developing through the age groups toward senior competition.
For Bell, the expansion represents an important development for an initiative created to provide more opportunities for girls and women to play, compete and connect through 3x3 basketball.
The Curacao event also demonstrated the potential for greater collaboration among the region’s basketball communities. Teams from different islands shared the court, while players, coaches and coordinators had the opportunity to build relationships beyond the competition itself.
That regional element is becoming increasingly important to Her Way.
The long-term vision is to establish a Caribbean pathway for women’s 3x3 basketball, providing players with opportunities to gain international experience and ultimately compete at the highest levels of the discipline, including the FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series.
From its beginnings on Sint Maarten to a 25-team event in Curacao, Her Way continues to expand its reach.
The Curacao tournament was more than an event held on another island. It demonstrated that a concept developed on Sint Maarten could be embraced by another basketball community and, in the process, create a shared platform for female players across the region.
