Hailey Van Lith is at a very unique point in her basketball career as the Paris Olympics get underway later this month. She will represent the United States in 3X3 competition as the only collegiate player on the roster amid an active transition to her third program in three years.
Anything short of a gold medal will be a disappointment!
Van Lith recently forwent the WNBA and transferred to TCU after one frustrating year at LSU and three years at Louisville. The 2024/25 season will exhaust her fifth and final year of eligibility. It presents an opportunity to return to a role as the primary scorer while boosting her draft stock for next April.
In the meantime, Van Lith joins Rhyne Howard, Cierra Burdick and Dearica Hamby in Paris as the four members of Team USA’s 3×3 basketball team. Hamby replaced Cameron Brink, who tore her ACL.
(@fribourgsportslab)Hailey Van Lith is made for 3X3!
Howard and Hamby are still in the middle of the WNBA season and have yet to travel overseas. Van Lith is still in college and Burdick is not on a pro roster, so they do not have any current obligations.
They got back in the gym together at the end of June. Their first tournament back was a great success. Team USA got the win at FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series in Quebec.
Van Lith was in her bag, which is deeper than Mary Poppins’.
Brent Darnell coached Van Lith in high school. He sees her as tailor-made for three-on-three competition.
I think it fits her perfectly for her game and the way she plays. Because she is a dominant one-on-one player. I think that’s Hailey’s game: taking somebody off the dribble and getting to the rim.
— Brent Darnell, via The Advocate
The two soon-to-be Olympians also teamed up with Sydney Leah Taylor and Kennedy Lauren Brown for a tune-up tournament in Fribourge, Switzerland over the 4th of July weekend. Unfortunately, it didn’t go as well as they might’ve hoped.
Team USA dominated its competition during pool play and Israel in the quarterfinals. It lost to Germany in the semis. The Netherlands smacked Germany in the championship game.
Van Lith averaged 3.75 points and 4 rebounds per game. Burdick averaged 3.75 and 5.75. All of the games are either 10 minutes long or first to 21.
Despite the frustrating result, there were a few very positive moments on which to build. Hailey Van Lith was cooking against Fribourg.
Hailey Van Lith with the crossover and the assist for Kennedy Brown
— FIBA 3×3 Basketball (@FIBA3x3) July 4, 2024@usab3x3 | @usabasketball | #3x3WSFribourg | #3x3WS pic.twitter.com/MoTEh1PLQF
She used a nasty Eurostep to score against Germany.
Hailey Van Lith with the EURO
— FIBA 3×3 Basketball (@FIBA3x3) July 5, 2024@usab3x3 | @usabasketball | #3x3WSFribourg | #3x3WS pic.twitter.com/9DdYzjxIHH
Although a bronze medal is not horrible, expectations are much higher for the Olympics. Having Howard and Hamby instead of Taylor and Brown will help. Still. A third-place finish was a bummer.
It is gold or bust in Paris and Hailey Van Lith needs to be the catalyst!
The post Hailey Van Lith Is Coming Into Her Own As USA Expects Gold Medal In 3X3 Basketball At Olympics appeared first on BroBible.
Hailey Van Lith Is Coming Into Her Own As USA Expects Gold Medal In 3X3 Basketball At Olympics
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