Team USA Wins Gold in 3-on-3 Basketball
In the first 3-on-3 event of the Olympics, Team USA crushed the competition.
As much as America loves its sports, we’re not always the best at them. Brazil’s the king of soccer, Japan’s the lord of baseball, and football doesn’t really count because no one else plays it. But if there’s one globally-recognized sport we’re always good at, it’s basketball. This was why, when 3-on-3 basketball was played at the Tokyo Olympics for the first time in the history of the games, it wasn’t especially surprising that Team USA cleaned house.
The four-member Team USA women’s 3-on-3 basketball team, composed of Kelsey Plum, Stefanie Dolson, Allisha Gray, and Jackie Young, has spent the past week smashing through opposing teams, including France, Russia, Mongolia, and Romania. The only team that got the better of them was Japan, but by then, Team USA had already secured its spot in the semifinals, where they stuck it to France once again. In the final match last night against Russia, USA kept the opposition at arm’s length for the majority of the game. Russia came close near the end, but an ill-timed foul ultimately cost them the gold. Team USA came out on top with a 12-9 victory, earning them a place in history as the very first gold medalists of women’s Olympic 3-on-3 basketball.
Got gold in the debut. 🥇@usab3x3 wins the first-ever Olympic 3×3 basketball tournament. #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/QBFRYBCPFL
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) July 28, 2021
The entire basketballing process was an absolute madhouse from start to finish. Unlike a traditional game played in the NBA, Olympic 3-on-3 is played on a half-sized court with a 12-second shot clock. Points are scored only in ones and twos, and the game only lasts 30 minutes. It’s basketball at its most brutal, and the sheer intensity of it drew major fan support. Hundreds of officials and volunteers at the games showed up to watch, and the TV ratings were just as impressive. 3-on-3 basketball could become a mainstay event of the Olympic games for years to come.