Women’s 3×3 basketball – Syndication Server

Why is Team USA so bad at Olympic 3×3 basketball? 3 possible reasons why.

We used to be a proper 3×3 basketball nation.

Team USA basketball 3×3 teams are not playing well in this year’s 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

After the women’s 3×3 team started pool play very slowly, fans started rightfully panicking. But we can’t leave out the men. They haven’t been playing well either and have yet to win a game.

To be fair, the men’s 3×3 team hasn’t been good historically, but the women won gold during the 2021 Tokyo Games, and the team is currently a far cry from that. So, what gives? Why is Team USA so bad at Olympic 3×3 basketball? Well, the possible answer is a bit complicated and requires an understanding of several factors.

Team USA's men's AND women's 3×3 basketball squads are both 0-2 in Olympic play so far 👀

Men's Team faced Serbia and Poland while the Women's Team faced Germany and Azerbaijan pic.twitter.com/MO3hyJtZZg

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 31, 2024

3×3 basketball is different from 5×5

There are some easy-to-spot differences, like court and ball size, but there are some glaring rule changes that make 3×3 so tough to play.

Let’s start with the shot clock. Players get just 12 seconds to work with versus 24. That’s not a ton of time to create. You have to be decisive, create shots quickly and pivot if opportunities are not there.

There’s also the scoring. It’s a beast to conquer because it requires a ton of volume done within a short period of time — just 10 minutes — and scoring from different areas around the court isn’t the same as 5×5 basketball.

Jul 30, 2024; Paris, France; United States player Cierra Burdick (7) shoots against Germany player Sonja Greinacher (14) in the women’s pool basketball 3×3 game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at La Concorde 1. Mandatory Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

Any basket scored inside the arc or in the one-point zone is worth one point. Buckets scored outside the arc or inside the two-point zone are worth two points.

Whichever team scores 21 points first or has the highest amount of points within the designated 10-minute period wins. So, if you aren’t prepared to score quickly and a lot, you’re going to be cooked before you really even get going.

Cohesion matters (a lot!) in 3×3 basketball

Aug 1, 2024; Paris, France; United States player Dearica Hamby (5) reacts after a play against Australia in a pool round game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at La Concorde 1. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The 3×3 basketball rules are totally wonky, which means that to play the sport, you have to do it for a while and with the same people. Unfortunately, both U.S. teams lack cohesion, and it shows.

For example, while several players, like Cierra Burdick and Hailey Van Lith, have years of experience playing 3×3 basketball together, they don’t have as much with their teammates.

Rhyne Howard has previously played with Van Lith but has not spent nearly enough time with Burdick. Dearica Hamby has loads of 3×3 experience. Still, she’s had very little time to play with her teammates, with most of it coming this year.

See how this can get ugly in a hurry? Trotting out teams that don’t have as much experience playing together versus teams that have years of cohesion — the Canada women’s team has at least five years together — is a recipe for disaster.

3×3 basketball requires careful roster construction

Playing 3×3 basketball is not for the faint of heart.

Teams need players that can defend like their lives depended on it, can cover space lightning quick, and, oh yeah, THE BUCKETS MUST COME IN HOTTER THAN A STORM IN JULY. Okay, that’s dramatic. But seriously, if you don’t have that, pack it up and go home because you’re going to embarrass yourself.

Something else that also matters is a facilitator. You probably need two people who can rotate depending on matchups. Right now, it seems unclear who those players are for both the men’s and women’s 3×3 teams. It very much feels like players are just fumbling their way through games and, sometimes, just hurling up shots.

Team USA 3×3 basketball teams are in trouble. Sending thoughts and prayers for their medal hopes.

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Olympic women’s 3×3 roster: Meet Team USA’s 2024 squad for Paris

Get to know the 4 athletes on the Team USA 3×3 women’s basketball roster.

The Paris Olympics are finally here, and among the many stars competing for the U.S. over the next couple of weeks is a stacked Team USA 3×3 women’s basketball roster, which includes WNBA stars Rhyne Howard and Dearica Hamby.

Women’s 3×3 basketball was first featured as an Olympic sport at the 2021 Tokyo Games, where the U.S. — with a roster that included WNBA players Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum, Allisha Gray and Stefanie Dolson — walked away a gold-medal winner.

During this year’s competition, there are several pool rounds of games (July 30 to August 3) before teams will play in the semifinal and medal games on August 5. The eight teams on the women’s side are the United States, Germany, Australia, Canada, Spain, Azerbaijan, France and China.

Let’s get into it and take a look at the roster:

Cierra Burdick

Position: Forward

WNBA Team: Previously spent time on various WNBA teams

College: Tennessee

Hometown: Charlotte, NC

Dearica Hamby

Position: Forward

WNBA Team: Los Angeles Sparks

College: Wake Forest

Hometown: Marietta, GA

Rhyne Howard

Position: Guard

WNBA Team: Atlanta Dream

College: Kentucky

Hometown: Cleveland, TN

Hailey Van Lith

Position: Guard

College: TCU

Hometown: Wenatchee, WA

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Women’s 3×3 basketball rules at the 2024 Paris Olympics, explained

Here’s what you need to know about women’s 3×3 basketball at the Olympics.

During this year’s 2024 Paris Olympics, you may notice a different kind of basketball: a three-on-three (3×3) version that is only played on half a court. YES. HALF A COURT.

In 2017, after the sport found success in the youth Olympic games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that 3×3 basketball would begin at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. It’s back again for this year’s Olympics in Paris, and you’ll want to pay attention to how everything works.

Although many of the rules are the same, there are some tweaks that will turn heads. It’s different from the typical five-on-five full-court version that we generally know as basketball.

Here are the rules to know about women’s 3×3 basketball at the 2024 Paris Olympics:

What’s the Olympic history of 3×3 women’s basketball?

Jul 28, 2021; Tokyo, Japan; USA player Allisha Gray (15) drives on France player Ana Maria Filip (11) in the semifinal game during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Aomi Urban Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Nelles-USA TODAY Sports

This version of basketball originally appeared at the 2010 Singapore Youth Olympic Games. It then made it to the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games and the 2018 Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games. The matches drew very huge crowds prompting the IOC to react.

In 2017, (IOC) announced that 3×3 basketball would begin at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

What are the 3×3 basketball basics?

Much like the 5×5 version, the basic basketball rules are the same regarding dribbling, passing, traveling, etc. The goal is to put the ball into the hoop and score more than your opponent.

Each game begins with a coin toss. The winner of the toss chooses whether to begin the game on offense or defense.

Who’s on the women’s 3×3 basketball roster?

Three players per side actively play on the court at all times. However, each side only gets ONE sub from its bench.

In total, the roster has four athletes.

What’s the 3×3 basketball court size?

A 3×3 game is played on a half-court — measuring 11m by 15m — with a hoop on one end and an end line on the other.

An arc divides the court into two parts. The area inside the arc is called the one-point zone, and the area outside the arc is the two-point zone. Like a typical basketball court, the 3×3 court also includes an area for free throws.

What’s the size of a 3×3 basketball?

The ball used in a 3×3 basketball game is different from a typical ball.

A 3×3 basketball ball is the same weight (620g) as the official size 7 basketball (74.93 cm in diameter) used in 5×5 games but is a little smaller (72.39cm in diameter).

The smaller size facilitates better ball handling to suit the faster pace of the game.

How does 3×3 basketball scoring work?

A team can score points by making baskets or through free throws. Field goals are broken down into two categories:

One-point shot — Any basket scored inside the arc or in the one-point zone is worth one point.

Two-point shot —Any basket scored from an area outside the arc or inside the two-point zone is worth two points.

A game is played within one 10-minute period. The first team to score 21 points wins. If neither team reaches 21 points, the team with the highest amount of points at the end of the 10-minute period wins the matchup.

If the game is tied at the end of regulation, teams will play a brief overtime period. The side that started the game on defense gets the first possession. Whichever team is the first to score two points in overtime wins the game.

How long is the 3×3 basketball shot clock?

In 3×3 basketball, the shot clock is very short. There are only just 12 seconds — half of the 24 seconds allowed in regular basketball — to score.

How does the Olympic format work?

There are several pool rounds of games (July 30 to August 3) before teams will play in the semifinal and medal games on August 5.

The eight teams on the women’s side are the United States, Germany, Australia, Canada, Spain, Azerbaijan, France and China.

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