Hoops Star Harmoni Turner Shines For Team USA

Harvard basketball standout Harmoni Turner added another achievement to her growing list of accolades: co-captaining Team USA to an undefeated gold medal run at the 2024 FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Turner, a senior from Mansfield, Texas, demonstrated her leadership both on and off the court, ending the tournament second in scoring behind compatriot Sania Feagin, totaling 40 points across seven games. Turner’s perimeter shooting proved crucial for Team USA’s gold medal campaign, its first in the event since its inception in 2019.

“I’m super grateful for the opportunity,” Turner said about representing Team USA. “The experience was nothing short of amazing. And for it being my first time making [Team] USA and coming back with a gold medal, that is something no one can take away from me. It’s something I’ve been working towards my whole life.”

Entering the tournament, Team USA ranked second behind China. This earned the team a spot in Pool B alongside Italy, New Zealand, Japan, and Spain. Team USA started its campaign with a 21-14 victory over Japan, in which Turner contributed six points including the game winning layup off a well-timed spin move. Turner replicated her performance in the next game against Italy, notching six points in another 21-14 victory.

The United States’ clash with Spain proved to be its most challenging of the tournament. Turner opened the scoring with a two pointer, but Spain’s offensive creativity secured an early 9-6 lead. The teams battled, but Spain remained firm, clinging to a 16-14 lead with 20 seconds remaining. As she does for Harvard, Turner put on some late game heroics by nailing a two pointer to equalize. After committing a foul that gave Spain a one point lead, Turner made up for her mistake by knocking down the game winning two-point buzzer beater. Turner tallied a game high seven points in the contest, securing an 18-17 USA victory.

“[My] mindset was to do anything to help the team,” said Turner. “I’ve worked on [that shot] a thousand times. It’s nice to see that my work comes to fruition, but at the end of the day it is just another shot. I credit my teammates and team for setting me up to get that shot off. I wasn’t feeling any nervousness.”

Team USA wrapped up group play with a 21-13 win over New Zealand, securing the top spot in Pool B. It was Turner’s most subdued performance of the tournament, with the Mansfield native contributing only one point in the contest. Her co-captain Feagin, however, stood out in the contest, dropping 10 points on the Kiwis and preserving the US’ unbeaten record.

The road to gold was anything but easy for Team USA, as all knockout stage games were packed into a single, grueling, day of competition. The day commenced with a quarterfinal matchup against France, headlined by Eve Wembenyama, sister of NBA superstar Victor Wembenyama. Turner rose to the occasion and turned the page on her past performance, delivering 10 points for Team USA including four two pointers. She nearly outscored all of Team France by herself, as the United States cruised to a 21-11 victory.

Not even two hours after the victory, Team USA squared off against top-ranked China in the semifinal clash of the titans. The Americans started hot, quickly jumping to an early 12-4 lead spearheaded by a well-rounded offense. China underwent a 5-1 run to pull within four, but that was the closest that the supposed-powerhouse was able to tighten the lead. Team USA drained the clock to the tune of a 19-10 victory over the top-ranked squad, with Turner contributing four points to the final victory.

A mere three hours after its second victory of the day, the Americans took the court once again to face off against the Dutch for a chance at bringing home the gold. A tight contest was fitting for the gold medal match, as the teams exchanged leads throughout the game. Team USA found itself down 10-6 as the Dutch pulled ahead on an early run, but the team’s grit was on full display, reducing the Dutch’s lead to 12-11 as the United States proved its worth and clawed its way back to the one point deficit.

Once more, Turner shined in the clutch, knocking down a two pointer to earn Team USA the lead. Then, she knocked another deep bomb to extend Team USA’s advantage to 16-12. Timely buckets and defense stymied the Dutch advances, as Team USA gutted out an 18-15 victory. Turner scored a joint game-high six points, all from behind the arc. In total, Turner knocked down all eight of Team USA’s two pointers in the knockout stage.

“Since we touched down in Mongolia and we had our few practices, it was pretty commonly known who they decided the shooter was and it was me,” said Turner. “I understood that I had a responsibility for the team and I was willing to do whatever I can to help as much as possible for us to win. I credit my team for being confident in me. They were telling me to shoot more.”

Turner returns to campus as a World Cup champion, but now has her eyes set on another title: Ivy League champion. “Winning the World Cup has brought a lot of confidence. The fans of Harvard deserve a championship,” Turner said. The star looks to lead the Crimson to its most successful campaign during her tenure. Harvard begins its campaign on Monday, November 4 at home against its home state rival, UMass.

—Staff writer Oscar E. Mercado can be reached at oscar.mercado@thecrimson.com.