Cayman 3×3 Teams Do the Islands Proud at the Commonwealth Games
The Cayman Islands Basketball Association is extremely proud of the performances of our Men’s and Women’s 3×3 National Teams at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
Competing on the Commonwealth stage gave our athletes the opportunity to test themselves against quality opposition from around the world, and while the results may not tell the entire story, the performances certainly demonstrated that Cayman basketball belongs on this stage.
Men Show They Can Compete
For the Cayman Islands Men, two performances in particular stood out — their games against Nigeria and Guyana.
Nigeria presented Cayman with a tremendous challenge, but our men refused to be intimidated by the occasion or the opposition. They competed with confidence and intensity, eventually falling 21–17 in a hard-fought contest.
The four-point margin against Nigeria demonstrated just how competitive Cayman can be against some of the stronger basketball nations within the Commonwealth.
The performance against Guyana provided another important measuring stick. Cayman once again showed its ability to compete, battle physically and execute in the fast-paced 3×3 environment.
For Nathaniel Anderson-Hurlston, Alwin Buttrum Jr., Brad Lansdell and Bryan Ebanks, the Commonwealth Games represented another important step in the development of our national 3×3 programme.
Cayman Women Embrace the Challenge
Our Women’s National Team also represented the Cayman Islands with tremendous pride.
Their performances against Fiji Islands and Kenya were particularly encouraging and demonstrated the continued progress being made within our women’s 3×3 programme.
Against Fiji, Cayman battled throughout the contest before falling 16–6. More important than the final score was the experience gained competing against another established international programme on one of the biggest stages our athletes have experienced.
The matchup against Kenya provided another opportunity for our women to test themselves against quality international competition and continue learning what is required to compete successfully at this level.
For Lyandrea Watson, Khailan O’Connor, Courtisha Ebanks and Jamie Rankin-Maize, every possession, every defensive stand and every difficult matchup added valuable international experience that can now be carried forward.
Bigger Than Wins and Losses
CIBA’s approach to international competition is about much more than the result of one tournament.
Every time Cayman steps onto the court against countries with larger populations, deeper player pools and longer-established programmes, our athletes gain something invaluable: experience.
They learn the speed of the international game. They experience the physicality. They understand the level of preparation required. And, perhaps most importantly, they return home knowing that the gap is not insurmountable.
The performances against Nigeria, Guyana, Fiji and Kenya gave us reasons for tremendous optimism.
Building Cayman 3×3 for the Future
The Commonwealth Games form part of a much larger journey for Cayman Islands 3×3 Basketball.
CIBA continues to invest heavily in developing our players, coaches and officials while creating more opportunities for Cayman athletes to compete internationally. Every tournament adds another layer of experience to a programme that continues to grow.
Our athletes carried the Cayman Islands name onto the Commonwealth stage and competed with heart, determination and national pride.
They represented all of us.
To our Men’s and Women’s teams, coaches and support personnel — thank you for representing the Cayman Islands with pride.
The experience gained in Glasgow will serve us well as we continue building toward the next international challenge.
