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.
