UConn recruiting targets Erica McCall and Brianna Turner teamed with Diamond DeShields and Kaela Davis to capture the gold medal for the United States at the FIBA 3x3 U18 World Championships in Alcobendas, Spain.

The U.S. went 7-1 in the three-day tournament with the only loss coming to China in pool play. They beat Estonia 21-15 in the quarterfinals, topped Australia 21-13 in the semifinals and then won the gold medal with a 21-13 victory over host and defending champion Spain.

Here are quotes from McCall and Turner courtesy of USA Basketball


ERICA MCCALL
How did it feel when the gold medal was placed around your neck?
It was great, especially knowing that we worked really hard for it and it was a great experience.

Was it a different feeling from when you won the FIBA U17 World Championship earlier this summer?
It was totally different for me. I feel like I had more responsibility playing three-on-three. It’s a lot more intense. I think that I worked really, really hard for this one, as compared to the U17 where I didn’t get as much playing time as I did on three-on-three. So, it was a little more special for me because of that.

What was the atmosphere like?
It was a crazy atmosphere. The music was always going and people were always cheering. Playing inside was more like five-on-five, but playing outside in the three-on-three was really different. You had to get used to the outside court. There were so many things going on at once, it was a whole different atmosphere.

BRIANNA TURNER
How did it feel when the gold medal was placed around your neck?
It felt really great, because we worked hard for every game, especially the championship.

What was it like winning a second world championship gold medal with three of your teammates from the USA U17 World Championship Team?
It was pretty unbelievable. I didn’t expect this to be happening again. It was really fun.

What was the atmosphere like there, especially playing outside?
It was pretty good. I thought it would be hard because of the wind and the heat and stuff. They had a few bugs in the beginning. But, as the day went on it got cooler. It was really great playing outside.