It’s been removed from the beginning they have been hoping for, however USA Basketball girls’s 3×3 workforce isn’t out simply but.
In a shock to many, the defending gold medal champions dropped their first three Olympic pool play video games, and risked elimination with a loss towards Spain on Thursday afternoon. However, Hailey Van Lith, Cierra Burdick, Rhyne Howard, and Dearica Hamby pulled out their first victory of the Paris Olympics, a 17-11 win over Spain.
The workforce’s document improves to 1-3 — nonetheless not an amazing place to be, and nonetheless final within the total stnadings — however now with a transparent pathway going ahead.
“We’re gonna should play powerful and get on a roll right here, however we nonetheless have an opportunity,” Van Lith mentioned, per the Dallas Morning Information.
The U.S. girls’s 3×3 workforce received gold on the final Olympics, however that was a completely completely different roster solely made up of WNBA gamers: Jackie Younger and Kelsey Plum (each of whom are on the 5×5 Olympic basketball workforce), Allisha Grey (a WNBA all-star) and Stefanie Dolson (who in all probability ought to’ve been an all-star this season).
This roster hasn’t had almost as a lot time to gel, and that’s proven by way of 4 contests. Burdick and Van Lith have been each members of the 3×3 workforce that received the gold medal within the 2023 World Championships, however they have been led by Cameron Brink, who was changed by Hamby as a result of an ACL tear suffered final month. Hamby and Howard have by no means performed with the 2 extra skilled members of the roster.
The group has been vocal about their restricted apply time and expertise collectively, however have maintained all through the week that they nonetheless really feel assured they’ve a shot.
After the ladies fell to 0-3 after the loss to Australia, Rhyne Howard mentioned staying united was key, per NPR.
“We’ve got to remain collectively. We all know what isn’t clicking for us, and now we have to be higher at that,” she mentioned. “We’re simply making an attempt to take what we will study from it and be higher subsequent sport.”
In opposition to Spain, Hailey Van Lith emerged from a hunch with a purpose to rating 5 factors on 3-5 taking pictures. Howard — probably the most embellished professional on the roster — additionally added 5 factors, Cierra Burdick 4 factors, and Dearica Hamby 3 factors.
Right here’s the place issues at the moment stand
The highest two groups within the standings robotically qualify for the semi-finals, and the following 4 qualify for a play-in spherical to duke it out for the opposite two semi-finals berths. So, with a purpose to also have a likelihood at a medal, the US should discover a means into the highest six Olympic groups. Proper now, they’re final within the standings, and they also’ll should be good the remainder of the best way.
- Australia: 3-1 (Australia beat China 21-15 as we speak, after which beat the U.S. 17-15)
- Germany: 3-1 (Germany beat Canada 19-15 as we speak, after which beat Azerbaijan 12-8)
- Canada: 2-1 (Canada fell to Germany, however then beat France 13-9)
- China: 2-2 (China beat
- Spain: 2-2 (Spain misplaced each video games as we speak — to China and the US)
- France: 1-2 (France beat Azerbaijan 15-10, after which fell to Canada)
- Azerbaijan: 1-3 (Azerbaijan misplaced to each France and Germany)
- United States: 1-3 (the U.S. fell to Australia 17-15, after which beat Spain 17-11)
What’s subsequent for USA Basketball’s girls’s 3×3 workforce
Tomorrow is a essential day for the U.S. 3×3 workforce — they’ll face France within the morning (7am ET) and Canada within the afternoon (12pm ET). Two wins would in all probability bump the U.S. out of the underside two and provides them an opportunity to compete within the play-in, however something in need of that may eradicate the defending champions.
Then, on Saturday, they’ll face China at 1:05pm ET within the final pool play sport of the Olympics.
To be able to advance to the play-in — a qualifying spherical forward of the semi-finals — the U.S. girls will possible have to win all three video games, a tall activity particularly contemplating the rocky begin.
