Team USA will be looking to defend their gold medal in women’s 3×3 basketball this summer in Paris. Earlier this week, the roster for the team was revealed and two familiar names are headlining the team; Cameron Brink and Hailey Van Lith.
Cameron Brink was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks out of Stanford. Fellow WNBA star Rhyne Howard of the Atlanta Dream will also be on the team. Rounding out the four-player roster with Hailey Van Lith is former WNBA player Cierra Burdick.
There should be excellent chemistry on this team, as Cameron Brink, Hailey Van Lith and Burdick are all returning players. Last summer in Austria, those three helped Team USA win gold in the FIBA World Cup.
“I say this all the time but there is no greater privilege than to represent the USA at the Olympics,” Jennifer Rizzotti, president of the Connecticut Sun and former college coach said in the press release. She is the head coach of the 3×3 team. “We understand that challenge in front of us as we face tremendous talent and experienced 3×3 teams. I am confident this roster gives us what we need to compete for another gold medal with experience, versatility and a commitment to USA Basketball excellence. I cannot wait to get started.”
Joining Team USA in the field this summer are France, China, Spain, Azerbaijan, Australia, Germany and Canada. The 2020 Summer Olympics was the first time that 3×3 basketball was featured, providing fans with a fast-paced game.
Played outdoors and on a halfcourt, games are decided by the first team to score 21 or whoever is ahead after 10 minutes of play. 3-pointers count for two points, while everything else counts for one. Free throws are also awarded like in a regular basketball game.
Last summer, Cameron Brink, Hailey Van Lith and Burdick went 7-1 in competition. Howard is a major upgrade as one of the best women’s basketball players in the world, a dynamic scoring guard who can also hit the glass.
Canada and France would seemingly present the biggest challenges to Team USA. Canada gave them their only loss in the 7-1 record and France held them to 16 points, which tied their low mark; the other time they scored 16 was the loss to Canada.
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