This article is from a press
release by the NBA

The NBA and the global
basketball community are set to mark World Basketball Day on Dec.
21 with a wide-ranging celebration aimed at engaging hundreds of
millions of fans and youth across the world, highlighting
basketball’s roots, reach and enduring social impact.

Now in its third year, World
Basketball Day commemorates the date in 1891 when Dr. James
Naismith first introduced the game of basketball at a YMCA in
Springfield, Massachusetts. Established by the United Nations in
2023, the annual celebration recognizes basketball as a unifying
force across cultures and continents—an idea the NBA is embracing
through clinics, community programs, digital campaigns and in-arena
activations worldwide.

This year’s observance carries
added significance as it coincides with the 175th anniversary of
the YMCA, widely regarded as the birthplace of the sport. In
recognition of that milestone, the NBA and YMCA announced a
year-long collaboration focused on youth basketball and community
development, extending a long-standing partnership that will
support millions of young people and families across the United
States.

The initiative will include
youth-focused programming and renovations of select YMCA facilities
nationwide, directly benefiting the more than six million youth the
YMCA serves annually. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver emphasized the
historical importance of the moment, noting that World Basketball
Day in 2025 serves as both a celebration of the game’s origins and
a reflection of its global influence more than a century
later.

“World Basketball Day takes on a
special meaning this year as we commemorate the 175th anniversary
of the YMCA, where the sport was first invented 134 years ago,”
Silver said. “We are thrilled to join our many friends in the
basketball community to celebrate the game’s impact and influence
around the world.”

The NBA’s digital footprint will
play a central role in the celebration. Across its global and
localized social platforms, the league will feature NBA players
sharing what World Basketball Day means to them, alongside
highlights from events taking place in different regions. Fans are
encouraged to participate by tagging @nba, @nbacares and @jrnba on
social media using the hashtag
#WorldBasketballDay.

On the grassroots level, the Jr.
NBA and Jr. WNBA programs, along with NBA Basketball School
initiatives that reach tens of millions of youth and coaches
globally, will gain access to a special playbook containing
exclusive training and educational content designed to promote
skill development and values such as teamwork and
leadership.

World Basketball Day will also
intersect with the NBA’s competitive calendar. Dec. 21 will serve
as a “3-for-1 Day” in NBA All-Star Voting, allowing fans with an
NBA ID to submit one ballot per day via the NBA App or NBA.com,
with each vote counting triple toward All-Star
selections.

Across the United States,
numerous NBA franchises—including the Lakers, Celtics, Heat, Bucks,
Mavericks and Warriors—will celebrate through localized events and
in-arena activities. Several player-led initiatives will headline
the festivities, including youth clinics hosted by former and
current NBA players such as Taj Gibson and Michael Carter-Williams.
In St. Louis, the Gateway Region YMCA recently hosted a youth
clinic attended by Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who also
announced upcoming YMCA renovations supported by NBA Cares and The
Jayson Tatum Foundation.

Internationally, the scope of
World Basketball Day underscores the NBA’s global reach. FIBA will
announce the inductees for its 2026 Hall of Fame class, while NBA
Africa and the Basketball Africa League will deploy 19 coaches to
conduct clinics across 13 African nations, reaching more than 600
coaches as part of a long-term effort to develop the sport on the
continent.

The Philippines, one of the
NBA’s most passionate international markets, will play a visible
role in the celebration. Local basketball players and content
creators from the country will be featured across the NBA’s
localized channels, while NBA Stores in the Philippines will host
World Basketball Day scavenger hunts offering fans the chance to
win merchandise and exclusive discounts. Beginning on Dec. 21, fans
who purchase official NBA merchandise at participating stores will
also receive a complimentary World Basketball Day T-shirt while
supplies last.

NBA champion Jayson Tatum
highlighted the personal significance of the day, pointing to
basketball’s role in shaping lives beyond the court. “World
Basketball Day is a chance to celebrate the game and the impact it
has on people everywhere,” Tatum said. “Basketball has had such a
positive influence on my life, and I hope I can pass along the joy
and skills I’ve learned to the next generation.”

WNBA Commissioner Cathy
Engelbert echoed those sentiments, emphasizing the sport’s ability
to open doors for girls and women worldwide. Leaders from FIBA, USA
Basketball, the NCAA, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, the
NBCA and the NFHS also underscored basketball’s educational,
cultural and community value, reinforcing the idea that the game’s
influence stretches far beyond professional leagues.

As basketball continues to grow
as the world’s fastest-rising sport and the second most popular
globally, World Basketball Day stands as both a tribute to its
humble beginnings and a celebration of its future. From
neighborhood gyms to global arenas, Dec. 21 will once again
spotlight how a simple game invented more than a century ago
continues to connect communities, inspire youth and bring the world
together through a shared love for basketball.

CURE FOR CHOC

CYPRESS 59, FAIRMONT PREP 49: Cypress beat No. 4 ranked Fairmont Prep 59-49 in the Cure CHOC hosted by Sonora’s Mike Murphy Saturday. Cypress played well defensively and was able to neutralize the size of Fairmont, according to Cypress Coach Derek Mitchell.

Gavin Kroll led Cypress (10-4) with 18 points and four 3-pointers. Ethan Mai and Tyrus Allen each had 11 points for the Centurions.

“I’m lucky to have a staff who thinks outside the box when comes to game planning,” Mitchell said. “I think our boys followed the game plan and competed every single play. Joedy (Gardner of Fairmont Prep) is a great coach and they will get better after Christmas.”

Cypress will represent the North in the Orange County North/South Challenge hosted by Steve Garrett at Tesoro on Tuesday.

Fairmont Prep (7-5) was led by Ryan Guo, who had 19 points and two 3-pointers and David Abisogun, who had 12 points.

CHARLIE WILKINS MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT

UNIVERSITY 59, SADDLEBACK 54: University held on to beat Saddleback on the opening day of the Charlie Wilkins Memorial Tournament at Westminster High School. The Trojans opened up a 26-10 lead after the first quarter, but the Roadrunners won each of the next three quarters. Saddleback cut the lead to one basket multiple times late in the game, but could not catch University.

Saddleback (5-6) had three players score all but two of their points. Senior guard Christopher Trotter had 27 points and four 3-pointers. Senior guard Angel Soberanis notched 15 points and three 3-pointers with all his scoring coming in the first half. Junior guard Tyrone Conner added 10 points.

University (3-11) broke an eight game losing streak. Abdallah Shami put the team on his back with his ninth double-double.

The junior center scored a career high 29 points adding 18 rebounds (14 offensive). Sophomore forward Lucas Haun scored a career high 13 points to go along with seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Junior guard Josh Kagawan contributed three points, six rebounds and seven assists.

—Courtesy Daryl Bogard, For OC Sports Zone

TARBUT V’ TORAH 78, WESTMINSTER 39: The Lions evened their record at 4-4 with the win Saturday. TVT was led by Ari Varon with 19 points and four 3-pointers. Ori Maya had 14 points, Jon Marzouk 12 points on four 3-pointers and Matt Olen 12 points. TVT made 15 3-pointers.

NON-LEAGUE

BECKMAN 69, PORTOLA 57: The Patriots captured a non-league win at home Saturday. Qusai Azem had 15 points and 13 rebounds, Josh Charette 16 points and four assists and Bronson Mejia 15 points and 13 rebounds.

SERVITE 79, PALM DESERT 52: The Friars (11-3) were led by Tariq Johnson II with 37 points and Jake Schutt with 15 points.

Cerritos 64, Sunny Hills 55

TARKANIAN CLASSIC

SANTA MARGARITA 86, BISHOP GORMAN 79 (2 OTs): The Eagles (13-1) advanced to the Platinum Division semifinals. Drew Anderson scored 29 points and had 19 rebounds; Brayden Kyman 19 points and four 3-pointers, seven rebounds four assists and three blocks and Kaiden Bailey 18 points and three 3-pointers and four assists.

—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com

The 6’4 forward excelled at Niagara Prep, leading the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association (OSBA) in blocks in 2019-20. She was named to the 2022 All-Canadian All-Star Game (the top 24 student-athletes in Canada) and also competed with Canada Elite before accepting a scholarship offer from Wisconsin. A two-time All-Big Ten First Team selection and the conference’s 2024 Defensive Player of the Year, Williams transferred to UConn for her final season of collegiate eligibility.

The Women’s Champions Classic at the Barclays Center on Saturday was a good test of how the New York native has transitioned to the role of UConn’s starting big. After UConn’s 90-64 win over No. 11 Iowa, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma offered a balanced assessment.

“There’s been an improvement … in her approach to what she wants to get accomplished,” Auriemma told reporters. “I think coming into a situation like ours … can be a little bit daunting — you know, where do I fit in, what [is] my role going to be? We talked a lot about impacting the game — whichever way, whatever that means. And I thought tonight was one of her better performances.”

Listen now to The IX Sports Podcast and Women’s Sports Daily

We are excited to announce the launch of TWO new podcasts for all the women’s sports fans out there looking for a daily dose of women’s sports news and analysis. Stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or anywhere you listen to podcasts, and make sure to subscribe!

---

In 23 minutes of play against Iowa, Williams added 7 points, four rebounds and three blocks. Her length and defensive instincts disrupted the Hawkeyes’ post play and created second-chance opportunities for the Huskies.

She wasn’t brought to UConn to be a primary scorer — it already has Sarah Strong, Azzi Fudd and Blanca Quiñonez averaging, respectively, 26.7, 26.4 and 22.8 points per 40 minutes. Instead, Williams allows the Huskies to match up better against the nation’s elite bigs like Madina Okot at South Carolina and Lauren Betts at UCLA — teams poised to return to the Final Four this season.

The margins between the nation’s very top teams are a matter of inches, and adding length like Williams was a wise transfer portal tune-up from the technicians on UConn’s coaching staff.

“Iowa relies heavily on their inside game, and I thought [Serah] both getting us a couple buckets and some of the rebounds and blocked shots [was important]. Those are things that, when we decided that we wanted to add Serah [to the roster], we thought we really, really need more of a defensive presence,” Auriemma told reporters. “We need more of an offensive threat. And I think it takes time, and I think this last three weeks or so, she’s made a lot of progress.”

Williams is a formidable post presence on a reigning national championship Huskies squad already stacked with high-impact guards and wings. As the calendar turns to January, she’s steadily becoming the player she was brought to Storrs to be. Sunday’s performance in her hometown is proof.

---

“Becoming Caitlin Clark” is out now!

Howard Megdal’s newest book is here! “Becoming Caitlin Clark: The Unknown Origin Story of a Modern Basketball Superstar” captures both the historic nature of Clark’s rise and the critical context over the previous century that helped make it possible, including interviews with Clark, Lisa Bluder (who also wrote the foreword), C. Vivian Stringer, Jan Jensen, Molly Kazmer and many others.

---

The future is now in Omaha

Ranked ESPN HoopGurlz No. 84 and No. 89, respectively, twin guards Neleigh and Norah Gessert arrived at Creighton having already made names for themselves in Omaha. Just 20 minutes down the road from Creighton’s campus, the 6′ guards guided Millard West High School to consecutive Nebraska state championships in 2024 and 2025. Over their final two high school seasons, they went 55-2.

Last November, with Creighton coming off a program-best third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, Neleigh and Norah chose to become Bluejays.

“I fell in love with Creighton from the very beginning, the first step on campus, I knew it would be home,” Norah said when she committed to the school. “Ever since I was a kid, Creighton has been nothing less than a dream school for me, and I can’t wait to be a Bluejay!”

Last week against Omaha, the twins combined for 40 points — a career-high-tying 25 points from Neleigh and a career-high 15 points from Norah — en route to a 92-48 victory over the Mavericks at Baxter Arena, Omaha’s home court.

“Because of the way they shot — hopefully they’re not thinking about leaving to come here and play in this gym,” Creighton head coach Jim Flanery joked with reporters after the game.

When asked about the transition to the college game, Norah acknowledged that it’s been a bit of an adjustment for the Bluejays, given that their roster consists of six freshmen out of 11 players.

“I feel like we got an early start in the summer, so that always helps,” Norah said. “But obviously, there’s a lot of differences from high school to college. Basically, everything’s 10 times faster. So I think it’s always a little rocky at first, but we’ve kind of talked about how we were kind of young at the beginning, but now we’re more in the season, so we’re not as young.”

---

Want even more women’s sports in your inbox?

Subscribe now to The IX Sports and receive our daily women’s sports newsletter covering soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, hockey and gymnastics from our incredible team of writers. That includes Basketball Wednesday from founder and editor Howard Megdal.

Readers of The IX Basketball now save 50% on their subscription to The IX.

---

The Gessert twins aren’t the only freshmen making an immediate impact for the Bluejays. Freshman guard Ava Zediker moved into the starting line-up following the loss of senior guard Kiani Lockett on Nov. 20 to injury. Zediker made her mark right away, earning BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors for the first week of December.

Zediker didn’t look much like a freshman in a 73-60 win over Tulsa on Dec. 7, notching a career-high 26 points, going 4-for-4 from beyond the 3-point line. She averages 11.6 points per game, good for second on the Bluejays, narrowly behind Neleigh Gessert‘s 12.3 points per game.

“They’re not only getting to play, they’re impacting whether we win or lose. … That’s a great thing for a freshman to have that opportunity, but it’s also a heavy responsibility,” Flanery told reporters. “I have to constantly remind them that that’s a responsibility.

“You don’t want [it] to be a heavy pressure, but you want them to put enough pressure on themselves to talk louder on defense and more forcefully on defense, and stay in … broken plays that you can get away with maybe in high school, not finishing a play that you can’t get away with in college.”

As he has for years, Jim Flanery has built a solid foundation of mostly local Midwest talent who have bought into a Creighton program now seeking a fifth-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. While the Bluejays have shown some growing pains in their 6-5 start to the season, it’s clear that their newcomers are ready to maintain the program’s standard of excellence — and that starts with making an impact on the court right away.

“[I’m] so happy and blessed to be able to coach them,” Flanery said. ” … We need them now — to win, not just to play.”

Howard Megdal and Jackie Powell of The IX Basketball contributed reporting to this story.