Hardware In Paris: Team USA Women’s 3x3 Squad Captures Bronze

The United States women’s 3x3 basketball team took the old “it doesn’t matter where you start, but how you finish” expression to heart this summer. Team USA began the 2024 Paris Olympics with three losses and finished with a bronze medal.

From agony to ecstasy, this group fought its way from 0-3 to a spot in the semifinals. In a matter of days, the United States moved from the bottom of the standings to one of the final four countries standing.

While the chance at a gold medal did ultimately slip away in a loss to Spain on August 5, the Americans turned right around three and a half hours later and worked their way onto the podium.

Here’s how the United States secured its third place finish in the Olympics:

Semifinals vs. Spain

Team USA had seen Spain prior to the semifinals in pool play on August 1. In fact, the Americans picked up their first Olympic victory over Spain, making the semifinals round matchup all the more hotly contested coming into play.

The United States started with the ball and by the first timeout, had gotten out to a 6-4 lead over Spain. In the two teams’ previous matchup, it was Dearica Hamby and Hailey Van Lith who led the Americans over Spain with five points apiece.

The same was true for this second go-around, as Hamby started with three of Team USA’s first four points, and Van Lith was aggressive early with six points by the five and a half minute mark.

Down the stretch, gameplay was tight. Hamby had two and-one opportunities in the final minutes, but a botched free throw both times cost the Americans two free points that they ultimately needed.

Rhyne Howard scored with 13 seconds left in the game to give the United States a 16-15 lead. With three seconds in regulation remaining, however, Spain scored and the game went into overtime.

Team USA had been in this scenario prior to the semifinals. Against Canada on August 2, the two countries’ pool play game went into overtime. Unfortunately for the women’s squad, that bout with overtime ended more successfully than it did in the semifinals against Spain.

Spain struck first and took a 17-16 lead in the opening 25 seconds of overtime. Howard had a chance at a 2-pointer to win the game outright as she did against Canada in pool play, but an airball said otherwise.

Just like that, it was Spain’s ball, and another basket sealed the deal, 18-16 . This left the Americans with the demoralizing realization that they wouldn’t have a chance to defend their gold medal from 2021 in Tokyo.

Van Lith led the way with eight points and five rebounds, while Hamby chipped in five points and seven rebounds. Howard finished with three points and two key assists, and Burdick did not score, but she grabbed five rebounds.

Bronze Medal Match vs. Canada

Another familiar face in Canada was awaiting Team USA in the bronze medal match . Although this time around, the game did not go into overtime.

Against Canada, the Americans were able to brush off their missed opportunity at a gold medal in the semifinals and fight to capture their last chance at any medal.

For most of the game, it seemed as if Team USA would go home with no hardware. Canada led for the majority of the contest and even touted a 12-9 lead with three minutes to go in regulation.

Despite Canada’s efforts, however, Team USA continued to fight back on the scoreboard even when the Canadians jumped ahead.

With 1:17 to play, Hamby was fouled and given yet another shot at capitalizing on an and-one for Team USA. This go-around, she made a free-throw which gave the United States its first lead of the night, 14-13.

From there, it was the Americans’ game for the taking. Canada did not score again and two more points for Team USA put a cap on its bronze medal effort in Paris, as the team ultimately won 16-13 .

Late in the game, Burdick pulled in an offensive rebound, and with seven seconds to go, was fouled. Burdick, the 30-year-old veteran, then stepped up and sank one out of two free throws to basically put the game on ice for Team USA.

Van Lith continued her strong run in the Olympics with a six-point outing coupled with two rebounds and two key assists. Howard was next up with four points. Burdick and Hamby each had three points and combined for nine rebounds in the contest.

At the end of the day, Van Lith, Howard, Burdick and Hamby were not able to defend the gold medal Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, Allisha Gray and Stefanie Dolson won in Tokyo in 2021. What they did do, however, with their backs against the wall from the early stages of pool play , was leave with a medal in just the second ever Olympics where 3x3 basketball has been held.

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