Team USA failed to repeat as gold medalists in 3×3 women’s basketball, but Hailey Van Lith felt happy with bronze nonetheless.
After dropping three straight games to open play in Paris, the Americans rallied for bronze, defeating Canada 16-13 after losing in their semifinal to Spain.
“Winning a medal for your country just makes you super proud,” Val Lith said, per NBC 5 DFW. “Even after the game, I got super emotional. There just aren’t enough words. You just feel so proud. You’re just so thankful for your family and friends and everyone who cheered and supported you. If they will have me again at the next [Olympics], I’ll be back.”
Van Lith, who will finish out her college career at TCU after stops at Louisville and LSU, was playing in her first Olympic Games.
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The four-person team also included Cierra Burdick, Rhyne Howard and Dearica Hambry, who replaced Los Angeles Sparks rookie Cameron Brink after she suffered a torn ACL in June.
The three-on-three competition was new at the Tokyo Games in 2021 and was brought back to Paris, where the Netherlands won gold on the men’s side, defeating France.
The U.S. men’s 3×3 basketball team was eliminated from the Olympics on Sunday after a 2-5 record in pool play.
As for the women’s team, the U.S. victory over Canada was buoyed by a 7-1 run that started with just over three minutes left and the United States trailing 12-9.
“This game was about mental toughness,” Van Lith said. “Both of us had lost games before, so we knew we just had to come out tough. That’s all we were talking about. It comes down to who is going to be mentally tough enough to play for the fouls.”
