Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard, the 2022 WNBA Rookie of the Year, and Los Angeles Sparks center Cameron Brink, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, will lead Team USA’s 3×3 Women’s Basketball team at the Paris Olympics. They will be joined by TCU guard Hailey Van Lith and former WNBA player Cierra Burdick.
USA Basketball announced the roster Wednesday.
3×3 basketball is a new event on the Olympic schedule. It made its debut in Tokyo, where the American women defeated Russia to win the inaugural gold medal. That team featured an entirely different roster: Stefanie Dolson, Allisha Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young.
While this new group does not have any Olympic experience, most of the roster has played together at the international level. Brink, Burdick and Van Lith were on the team that won the gold medal at the 2023 World Cup in Vienna last summer. Howard is the only newcomer, but given her versatile game she should have no trouble fitting in.
Eight countries have qualified for the women’s 3×3 competition in Paris: Australia, Azerbaijan, Canada, China, France, Germany, Spain and United States. They will play a round robin with the top-six teams advancing to a single-elimination bracket. The top two teams will receive a bye to the semifinals, while teams three through six will have to go through an extra round to get there.
Unlike regular 5×5 basketball, 3×3 is played on a halfcourt, with both teams scoring and defending on the same basket. Shots inside the arc are worth one point, while those made from behind the arc are worth two. Teams can win by either reaching 21 points faster than their opponent or by having the most points at the end of the 10-minute clock.
The 3×3 games will be held at Place de la Concorde, the largest public square in Paris, which has a steeped history and is located at the Eastern end of the Champs-Élysées.
