LSU’s Hailey Van Lith to Play for Team USA in 3x3 World Cup Tournament

It’s been a whirlwind offseason for star guard Hailey Van Lith, who three weeks ago announced her decision to transfer from Louisville to join defending national champion LSU. Now, she’ll wear another jersey: Team USA.

Van Lith was announced as one of the members of the U.S.’s three-on-three team ahead of the FIBA World Cup, which tips off on May 30 in Vienna, Austria. Van Lith will join Stanford’s Cameron Brink, along with Cierra Burdick and Linnae Harper. The men’s team will feature former BYU star Jimmer Fredette, plus Canyon Barry, Kareem Maddox and Dylan Travis.

Van Lith averaged 19.7 points, 3.2 assists and 1.5 steals for Louisville last season, helping lead the Cardinals to an Elite Eight appearance. The team was knocked out of the tournament by eventual runner-up Iowa. Van Lith started 101 games in three years for Louisville, and will now enter her senior year for the Tigers.

Both the men’s and women’s three-on-three teams could secure bids to the 2024 Olympics with a strong showing at the World Cup. The women’s team won gold in 2021, while the men’s side failed to qualify. 

Three-on-three games are played in the half court, with a 10-minute game clock and a 12-second shot clock. The first team to reach 21 points wins, or, if neither team reaches that mark, the winner is whichever team leads at the end of the 10 minutes.