Tracy Namugosa woke up a bronze medallist and the Most Valuable Player of the 2025 FISU University World Cup 3×3 Basketball.
Her award crowned a groundbreaking campaign for Uganda Christian University (UCU), who lifted African university basketball to new heights in Brasília, Brazil.
UCU set the tone in the group stage, winning their first two games at a global 3×3 event for the first time.
They opened with a commanding 19–11 victory over the University of Seville, then edged the University of Chile 17–15 in a tense finish.
Trailing inside the final minute, UCU turned the game around when Shillah Lamunu drained a clutch two-pointer before the defense locked down the win.
Namugosa scored 7 points, Lamunu added 6, and the result booked UCU’s first-ever quarterfinal slot.
Their confidence only grew. In the quarterfinals, UCU delivered their most complete performance, beating the University of Valencia 20–16 to become the first African university team to reach the semifinals of the FISU 3×3 World Cup.
Namugosa and Lamunu again led from the front, their experience in international 3×3 shining through.
The dream of a final ended in heartbreak with a narrow 17–16 overtime loss to Vasyl Stefanyk University, but UCU refused to fade.
In the bronze medal game, they outplayed Huazhong University of Science and Technology to secure a historic podium finish, the first ever for an African institution at the tournament.
By the end, it was evident who carried UCU’s heartbeat.
Namugosa’s poise, scoring, and leadership earned her the tournament’s MVP award, a fitting recognition for a player who drove UCU’s historic run.
The men’s team struggled in their outings, but the women’s campaign will stand as a defining chapter.
Bronze, MVP honors, and a place in African university basketball history.
