USA 3x3 Olympics Women's Basketball Team Bounces Back With Three Straight Wins
The USA 3x3 Olympics Women's Basketball Team has bounced back. The squad started the Olympics 0-3, with losses to Germany, Azerbaijan, and Australia. But then recovered winning against Spain, France, and Canada. The last victory coming in overtime, punctuated by a game winner from Atlanta Dream star Rhyne Howard to give the United States the 18-17 win. That after TCU's Hailey Van Lith hit a big bucket to send the contest to OT.
RHYNE HOWARD CALLS GAME! Make it three wins in a row for the 🇺🇸 #3x3WNT! pic.twitter.com/jkCR7frbBP
— USA Basketball 3x3 (@usab3x3) August 2, 2024
The squad composed of Howard, Van Lith, Los Angeles Sparks All-Star Dearica Hamby, and Cierra Burdick, who currently plays for Valencia Basket Club now still has a chance to defend the gold won in the inaugural edition of the event held at the Tokyo games in 2021.
First to two in overtime: Canada scores first, and then RHYNE HOWARD ENDS IT, LFGGGGGGGGGG! WHAT A SHOT!!! USA CLIMBS BACK TO 3-3 IN 3X3! 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/1C9a1TY2IL
— Myles (@MylesEhrlich) August 2, 2024
The format of the competition sees all eight teams at the Olympics play each other once in the first stage, with the top two moving on to the semi-finals, while 3-6 will face off in play-in games to see who advances. The games are only 10 minutes long, or first to 21, and feature a 12-second shot clock. Shots inside the arc are good for one point, while makes from the outside are worth two. The 3x3 team currently sits in 5th place with one more game in pool play left against China on Saturday.
Aja Wilson, Jackie Young, Kahleah Copper, Brittney Griner, Jewell Loyd & Chelsea Gray came to support USA against Canada#3x3Basketball #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/tGFiAOJeTQ
— 3x3 Basketball |FIBA3x3 (@FIBA3x3) August 2, 2024
Team USA's third-consecutive victory came in front of several members of the 5-on-5 roster playing in Paris. That squad is well on its way to winning an eighth-straight gold medal, following a 57th Olympic win in a row over Belgium.
ROBIN LUNDBERG
Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his burgeoning YouTube show. And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak on SI!