Before TCU women’s basketball freshman guard Hailey Van Lith joins the Horned Frogs for the 2024-25 season, she will compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, where she will be selected for the USA Basketball 3×3 Women’s National Team. On Wednesday, the 3×3 team’s roster was officially announced, with the future Frogs joining LA Sparks forward Cameron Brink, Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard and former Tennessee Volunteers forward Sierra Burdick on the team.
The U.S. team qualified for the Paris Olympics by finishing in the top three of the world rankings during the qualifying period. Van Lith has been a member of the U.S. team since 2018, competing in 3×3 basketball, and was the U.S. team’s leading scorer in the gold medal race at the 2023 FIBA 3×3 World Cup, recording a game-best seven points and six rebounds in the final win over France. She has also won gold medals with the U.S. at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, the 2018 U-17 FIBA World Cup, the 2019 FIBA U-18 World Cup and the 2019 FIBA U-19 World Cup.
3×3 basketball is played on a half-court in a street pickup game style. It has a looser structure than traditional 5×5 basketball and rewards creativity and teamwork. Shots from outside the arc are worth two points, while shots from inside are worth one point. The winner is determined by the first team to score 21 points or the most points at the end of 10 minutes. 2024 will be the second Olympic Games to feature 3×3 basketball. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (to be held in 2021), the US team won the women’s 3×3 gold medal, defeating Russia in the final.
The opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics will take place on Friday, July 26, in Paris, France. Women’s 3×3 basketball pool matches will open on Tuesday, July 30, at La Concorde urban park in Paris, which also hosts BMX freestyle cycling, breakdancing, and skateboarding. The women’s medal matches will take place on Monday, August 5.
Van Lith will be in Paris alongside fellow Horned Frogs Tania Moreno and Daniella Alvarez, who will represent Team Spain in women’s beach volleyball.
