FIBA Grants $15K to Three Women-Led Basketball Projects

FIBA Women Leaders' Program supported by Molten, concluded in conjunction with the following the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026. The global program is designed to foster leadership qualities, innovation, and increase opportunities for women in the field of basketball.

In the closing the program allocated US$15,000 in project funding to the three winners of the competition. Out of this sum, US$10,000 was allocated through the Molten Development Grant, whereas the remaining US$5,000 was allocated by the FIBA Foundation.

The selection of participants was based on the quality of the submitted projects. Every selected participant made a presentation of the project to a panel of experts. The projects needed to fit into FIBA’s Women in Basketball strategic priority.

Key Highlights:

• FIBA awards US$15,000 to three women-led basketball projects
• Women leaders gain leadership, networking, and project development skills
• Berlin program builds a global network of women in basketball

The projects addressed issues concerned with the development women’s representation in the sport, such as attracting female athletes to basketball and retaining them, creation of sustainable community-based programs, building leadership pathways, and enhancing the visibility and recognition of women players.

As an attempt to promote women’s basketball worldwide, the program aims to improve the leadership skills of its participants, as well as stimulate them to create practical solutions that could take advantage of the opportunities within the field of women’s basketball. Also, the program benefits from the involvement of Molten, FIBA’s Global Partner for more than forty years, and its contribution to the development of basketball and projects related to women’s participation and leadership in basketball.

The participants who hailed from various parts of the world formed a diverse group of women having varying professional experiences and different viewpoints on various issues related to the sport. Their journey concluded in Berlin, Germany, where they convened to participate in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 along with other participants.

Considering the experiences of the panel with regard to various aspects of leadership in sports, governance, regional development, integrity, foundation, and women’s basketball, the panel reviewed the proposed projects with respect to their capacity to help meet the objectives of the program.

The Berlin chapter brought the FIBA Women Leaders’ Program into a dynamic in-person setting, transforming months of virtual learning and leadership development into an immersive four-day experience alongside the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup. The platform became an engaging networking opportunity for all participants.

During the four days, participants had the chance to participate in various team-building and leadership skills, seminars and workshops. They also built networks by meeting influential people in the basketball world through the Women in Basketball Forum, which broadened their horizons on the evolution of women in the basketball world.

Participants were able to have a behind-the-scenes experience of one of the largest basketball events in the world, which helped them, understand the grandeur of the sport and basketball world and the range of professionals working to shape its future. Watching the Women’s Basketball World Cup was another activity that participants enjoyed together.

The program seeks to enhance the pipeline of women leaders within the basketball environment. The initiative has been created through the collaboration with FIBA Regional Offices, National Federations, and FIBA Foundation, combining resources and knowledge from various regions to benefit women in the sport.