FIBA: Team USA begins 3x3 basketball gold medal defense against Germany

3×3 basketball at the 2024 Paris Olympics tips off this Tuesday, July 30. Four games are on the schedule for the day, including a matchup between the defending gold medalist United States and Germany. Games between Australia and Canada, Spain and Azerbaijan, and France and China are also on the docket.

The United States won the first-ever gold medal in 3×3 basketball at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and will be favored to medal again in 2024. It’s worth noting, though, that they’ve sent an all-new squad to Paris; it will be up to Rhyne Howard, Dearica Hamby, Hailey Van Lith, and Cierra Burdick to continue the success that Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, Allisha Gray, and Stefanie Dolson started.

That’s not to say that Team USA lacks experience. Burdick and Van Lith, in particular, have been staples of the international 3×3 scene for years and are currently listed at No. 7 and No. 30, respectively, in FIBA’s 3×3 individual player rankings—a reflection of their proficiency in the 3×3 circuit. Last year, the pair won a gold medal in the FIBA 3×3 World Cup, so they certainly know how to win on the biggest of stages.

Hailey Van Lith and Cierra Burdick won gold with Team USA in the 2023 FIBA 3×3 World Cup.

Photo by Andrea Kareth /SEPA.Media /Getty Images

When it comes to 3×3 basketball, every bit of international experience counts. It’s not as simple as assembling the most talented roster possible and going for the gold; the style of play in the 3×3 game is even more dependent on team chemistry and player versatility, and given that the games are only 10 minutes long, the margin for error is small, regardless of who’s on the court.

Establishing that chemistry will be crucial early on for the United States as they take on Germany. German forward Sonja Greinacher is one of the tallest players in the competition at 6-foot-3, and she’s currently the No. 5 ranked player in the world according to FIBA. The United States will counter with Hamby, who was only recently named to the 3×3 team after Cameron Brink tore her ACL in WNBA play. Hamby getting off to a good start on Tuesday would bode well not only for Team USA’s first game of the competition but for its chemistry in the near future.

Immediately after the United States plays Germany, Australia will take on Canada and the Plouffe sisters, who are perhaps the two biggest names in the competition. Later in the day, Tiffany Hayes and Azerbaijan will look to begin a Cinderella run against Spain, while No. 1 seed China takes on the host country France.