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06/21/2025 - The NMI Men’s and Women’s National 3x3 Basketball Team have been letting it all out on the courts at Marianas High School Gym and Koblerville Gym as they prepare for a high level of intense competition in the upcoming 2025 Palau Pacific Mini Games from June 29 to July 9.
Despite it being a FIBA Asia/U23 and Commonwealth qualifier—with lots at stake and more dynamic and fast-paced play on half-court with no coach and only one backup player—the young men’s and women’s 3x3 squads are up for the challenge against powerhouses in the Pacific.
The women’s team includes off-island recruit and 2024 Micronesian Games silver medalist Alliyah Fernandez, fellow silver medalists Yasmeen Younis and Kaia Travilla, and multi-sport athlete Kina Rangamar. They are coached by Marlene Lumabi. The men’s team consists of Airson Atan, Chioni Dela Cruz, Ervin Villarin, and John Thongaram, with Jack Lizama serving as head coach. Both teams are managed by Preston Basa.
While these athletes may lack height compared to others in the region, they make up for it with heart as they train hard with about a week left before competition. The team does have some exposure to the 3x3 format, as Travilla, Lizama, and Basa recently competed in the 2024 FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup held in Singapore. Over the past couple of years, the Northern Mariana Islands Basketball Federation has also hosted several 3x3 tournaments alongside the regular 5v5 format to help grow the movement toward 3x3.
Basa, speaking on 3x3 basketball compared to the traditional game, said, “3x3 is a little different in terms of how you play—it’s a lot quicker, there’s a lot of defensive strategies that are not similar like how you would play defense in a 5v5 game. But fortunately for us, we do have people with experience—myself, coach Jack Lizama, and coach Mar for the women’s… With our experiences and knowledge we’ve gained from being part of those games, we just hope to pass it down to the younger generation.”
He added, “I think for our island, it’s a great opportunity to be more competitive. With our height here in the Marianas, the 5v5 game has been a challenge for us—mostly on the men’s side. The girls have had more success, but I think we have a great opportunity in 3x3.”
When asked how the teams are doing, Basa said they’re in the best shape they can be. “We’re not alone when it comes to the age limitations, which make it a little difficult to form a well-rounded team in terms of height and skill. But based on who we have, we’re as ready as we can be.”
For 21-year-old Travilla, her experience in Singapore gave her a firsthand look at the intensity of the sport. “I feel like that really showed me how intense 3x3 is, so heading into the Pacific Mini Games, I’m definitely confident that my team and I will bring that same speed, intensity, decision-making—and overall, be a competitive team when we get down there.”
Fernandez, a 21-year-old NCAA Division II college basketball athlete who flew in just last week from California where she attends Cal State LA, said she came back to compete because she’s always proud to represent where she grew up. “I’ll never say no to basketball. 3x3 is going to be a little different—I have a little experience with 3x3—but us girls, just being together, finally complete, just trying to get our chemistry, and everything tuned up for next week.”
As for Rangamar, she said the team has been feeling really good, especially with practices six times a week in the mornings. “Our practices have been going great since tryouts. We’ve just been training, and we finally got our fourth player in,” she said. Speaking about her teammates, she added, “I really love my team. I feel like we all bring different skill sets to the table, and we’re blending really well. That’s what we’ve been working on these past few weeks—just finding ways to build off each other.”
Eighteen-year-old Younis shared that 3x3 wasn’t something she initially thought she’d be getting into. “Being the youngest on the team, there’s definitely a bit of pressure, especially since I look up to my teammates—they have more experience playing outside of the NMI than I do.”
When asked how excited she is about competing, she said, “I’m pretty excited—and a little nervous, of course—but I know I’ll do my best and play my heart out for the NMI.”
Villarin, a 22-year-old on the men’s team, was interviewed during their practice. With their practices, he said, “I’m feeling really good. We’re doing mostly conditioning and some basketball drills. It’s been a tough couple of months, but it’s been great working with the rest of my teammates.”
As for his experience with 3x3, he said he’s only played locally, but he’s been playing basketball all his life. “It’s a lot harder than 5v5. There’s more conditioning, more running, more teamwork, and more ball movement—so it’s definitely a new experience for me to try.”
Then there’s 23-year-old Dela Cruz, who said he felt like they could have prepared a little bit more, but believes they’re ready to compete. “Obviously this is a big stage, going into the Pacific Mini Games, so hopefully my teammates and I can get it done—and we’re looking forward to it,” he said. “We’re going to try our best. We don’t have the size, but I know my teammates and I all have the heart. So we’re going to bring it every game and do our very best.”
The team is flying out on June 29.
The 161-delegation Team Marianas is supported by the Office of the Governor, Saipan & Northern Islands Legislative Delegation, Joeten Daidai Foundation, ASC Trust, Triple J, Tan Holdings, Altanx, Quality Distributors, Mobil, McDonald’s, IT&E, Chinese Association on Saipan, GPPC, Marianas Press, Matson’s, LaoLao Bay Golf & Resort, Dial-Rent-To-Own, NMI Local Peace Corps Reunion Committee, Y.K. Corporation, Shell/AFE Marianas, LLC, Wushin, I Love Saipan, BC Corporation, and Artman.
By Leigh Gases
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