Hailey Van Lith makes 'soft' admission about Team USA 3x3 women's basketball

College basketball star Hailey Van Lith felt Team USA played “soft” down the stretch in its opening game of the 3x3 women’s basketball competition at the Paris Olympics .

On Tuesday afternoon, the United States lost 17-13 to Germany in the opening game of pool play. The defending Olympic champion featuring Dearica Hamby, Rhyne Howard, Cierra Burdick and Van Lith - the only college star at the Games - struggled with offensive consistency .

The 3x3 game is very different to the traditional 5-on-5 edition of the sport. In 3x3, chemistry is crucial and Team USA only practiced together for two weeks. Against Germany, Team USA rushed to a 5-0 lead but the Europeans fought back and tied 11-11 after a tough finish from Hamby.

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Sonja Greinacher nailed a two with 1:52 left, and Marie Reichert then connected on another two to make it a 16-12 lead with just 56 seconds remaining. The Germans hit their shots when needed, shooting 4-for-10 while Team USA was 1-for-8.

In the 3x3 format, the winner is either the first team to 21 points or the one with the lead after 10 minutes. Germany were the victors, with the new-look U.S. team ultimately outmuscled throughout the game. Regardless, Van Lith was a bright spark for Team USA. The youngest player on the roster, who made an appearance at WNBA All-Star weekend , finished with six points and three rebounds in 6:57 minutes of action.

She lamented the lack of endurance displayed by the Americans late. “At the end of the game, honestly, we were winded,” said Van Lith. “We started playing soft. And they played much harder than us.”

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Van Lith transferred to TCU this NCAA offseason after starring alongside Angel Reese at LSU . She insisted the transition from traditional basketball to the 3x3 arena is where Team USA is struggling. She added: “Actions that our bigs and our guards expect help, I feel like that’s when I see it the most.”

In the pool stage, all teams play each other once for a total of six games. The squads are seeded No. 1 to No. 6 with the top two receiving byes, then the semifinals and finals follow the first elimination round.

Back at the 2020 Tokyo Games, Team USA also lost its opening game before sweeping through the competition to claim gold. Van Lith, her teammates, and USA Basketball hope history will repeat itself in Paris.

Team USA is now chasing its first win in its second game against Azerbaijan, which tips off on Wednesday evening.