U.S. 3×3 basketball player Hailey Van Lith discusses the team’s 0-3 start and hot streak that led to a bronze medal.
Team USA's women's 3x3 team didn't repeat as gold medalists, but they aren't leaving Paris empty-handed. After dropping their semifinal game to Spain earlier in the day, the Americans took home the bronze, securing back-to-back Olympics with a medal in the sport thanks to a 6-point, 2-assist effort by Hailey Van Lith in the final against Canada.
BRONZE MEDAL GAME VS CANADA
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After a semifinal game against Spain on Monday afternoon, Team USA returned to the court on Monday evening to face the Canadians for the bronze medal.
Canada's strong shooting from beyond the arc gave them an early lead. They were 3/14 on 2-point shots. Team USA didn't make any of their seven 2-point attempts, relying on turnovers and going 5/7 in free throws to give them the edge.
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"This game was about mental toughness," Van Lith said. "Both of us (Canada) had lost the games before it, 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."
Trailing 12-9 with just over three minutes to play, the Americans went on a captivating 7-1 run.
Trailing by two with about 2:30 left to play, a pivotal technical foul for the Canadians' continued complaining about missed calls gave Van Lith a shot at a free throw. After dropping the bucket, Dearica Hamby put the Americans ahead with a one-and-one.
"We just tried to take advantage of them playing physical. We tried to spread them out and not let them deny us the ball. We just tried to play it in our favor," Van Lith said.
Van Lith finished the game with a team-leading 6 points and 2 assists. Hamby and Cierra Burdick each scored 3 points, and Rhyne Howard had 4 points.
"Winning a medal for your country just makes you super proud. 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 one (Olympics), I'll be back," Van Lith said.
Van Lith said that head coach Mark Campbell of the women's TCU basketball team was also in Paris to support her in her Olympic debut.
"That's what I am talking about, that support. It just really means the world to me. My teammates were even texting me every day, and the coaching staff. So I'm going to go give that school all that I have for my last year of college basketball," Van Lith said.
SEMIFINAL VS SPAIN
Before Monday’s semifinal game against Spain, Team USA had won four straight, including the latest, a 21-13 win over China. It was a total turnaround after starting the Olympics with three straight losses.
The comeback ended in overtime Monday, with Spain beating the Americans 18-16 and advancing to the gold medal game. The loss sent Team USA to the bronze medal game Monday afternoon against Canada.
“We just missed some things we should have made,” Hailey Van Lith said Monday after the loss to Spain. “They just started making shots that they usually don’t make.”
Van Lith mentioned she is proud of the team's work to this point.
“Yeah, I mean we really did turn it around and do what we needed to do to get here. But we really wanted to be competing for the gold medal. That’s just not there for us anymore, though,” Van Lith said.
