USA Basketball 3×3 girls fall to Azerbaijan, drop to 0-2 in pool play: “We’re probably the most inexperienced group right here”

On Tuesday, the U.S. girls’s 3×3 group dropped its first match of the Olympics, a 17-13 loss to Germany that lead guard Hailey Van Lith described as “smooth” and teammate Cierra Burdick admitted was “ugly.”

On Wednesday, a foul Olympic begin obtained worse for the ladies’s USA Basketball’s 3×3 program, as Azerbaijan beat the US, 20-17.

The back-and-forth sport was tied at 17 with 20 seconds to go, however the U.S. couldn’t get a shot up in time, regardless of Burdick — probably the most skilled member of the group — emphatically gathering the ladies and drawing up a play upfront.

Then, the Las Vegas Aces’ Tiffany Hayes, a naturalized citizen of Azerbaijan, took benefit of a defensive miscommunication to get huge open for a layup. In response, Hailey Van Lith tried a troublesome three-pointer in hopes of getting USA again forward, however that shot resulted in an airball and Azerbaijan possession.

Dearica Hamby led the way in which for the US with 7 factors on 5-8 capturing together with a team-high 5 rebounds, whereas Van Lith added 4 factors and a pair of assists, however made simply 3 of 10 area targets.

Cierra Burdick completed with 4 factors, 4 rebounds, and a pair of assists, whereas Rhyne Howard — the #1 decide within the 2022 WNBA draft — scored only a single level on 1-5 capturing. Howard, who’s extra aware of 5×5 basketball, has struggled in each pool play video games thus far.

In the meantime, Tiffany Hayes was dominant for Azerbaijan, placing up 11 factors and seven rebounds. Dina Ulyanova added 6 factors within the win.

Picture by Ezra Shaw/Getty Pictures

Down the stretch, USA Basketball 3×3 group’s lack of expertise confirmed for the second consecutive sport.

“We’re probably the most inexperienced group right here,” Burdick instructed USA Right this moment after Tuesday’s loss to Germany. “We obtained lots of ability, lots of expertise, however that doesn’t win 3×3 video games. That’s a main time instance proper there.”

USA 3×3 basketball continues tomorrow

With the loss, the US falls to final within the standings. The highest two groups mechanically advance to the semi-finals, to be performed Monday, whereas the subsequent 4 qualify for a play-in spherical with the intention to compete for the opposite two semi-final spots. So, so long as the US can get into the highest six within the standings by Saturday, they stand an opportunity.

A tough begin doesn’t imply that Crew USA’s medal hopes are over, however it definitely wasn’t the beginning this system hoped for. The U.S. performs two of 5 remaining pool video games tomorrow, in opposition to Australia within the morning and Spain within the afternoon.

The remaining schedule is as follows:

• Thursday, August 1st: vs. Australia, 7 a.m. & vs. Spain, 3:30 p.m. ET (pool play)
• Friday, August 2nd: vs. France, 7 a.m. vs. Canada, 12 p.m. ET (pool play)
• Saturday, August third: vs. China, 1:05 p.m. ET (pool play)
• Monday, August fifth: Semifinals, bronze and gold medal video games

Right here’s the place issues at present stand

By means of two days of play, Canada leads the pack, whereas the U.S. is in eighth place:

1. Canada: 2-0 (Canada defeated China at present 21-11)
2. Spain: 2-0 (Spain beat France 17-12)
3. Australia: 1-1 (Australia beat Germany at present 21-19)
4. Germany: 1-1
5. Azerbaijan: 1-1 (Azerbaijan beat the US at present 20-17)
6. China: 1-1
7. France: 0-2
8. United States: 0-2