The U.S. women’s 3×3 basketball team celebrates a win – Credit: Getty Images
What a difference a day makes. 24 hours or so ago, both U.S. 3×3 basketball teams looked dead in the water, having lost seven of their first eight games combined. But now, after a resurgent day in which both the men and women went 2-0, the arrow is pointing straight up.
The U.S. women, especially, look like a whole different team right now, dispatching of France and Canada to get back to .500 and hopefully put themselves squarely into the play-in round at 3-3. (As a reminder, at the end of pool play the bottom two teams are eliminated, the top two advance straight to the semis while teams 3-6 head to two play-in games.)
The women’s competition takes center stage on Saturday, with one more pool play session in the morning before two play-in games in the afternoon. Here’s everything to watch for from a busy day at Place de la Concorde.
What to watch for in Olympic 3×3 basketball: August 3
How far can the U.S. go?
The U.S. gets a friendly matchup in its final pool-play game, facing a 2-4 China team that could be up for elimination. Win that, and a spot in the play-in games later in the day is guaranteed. Team USA’s defense is radically improved from where it was earlier in the week, and Rhyne Howard finally looked something like her old self in taking over down the stretch against Canada. This team still has a ton of talent, and it was considered a medal favorite for a reason. Now it’s just two wins away from getting there.
SEE MORE: How to watch the U.S. women’s basketball team at the Paris Olympics: TV and stream schedule
The race for the semis heats up
Landing one of the top two spots in the standings is huge, as it guarantees passage directly to the semifinals. Germany, the surprise of the tournament at 6-1, holds the inside track there, although Spain and Australia both lurk at 4-2. Australia gets a relatively easy matchup against 1-5 France, while Spain faces Germany in the game of the session — one that could decide who moves on and who has to face a do-or-die play-in game. If nothing else, it’ll be a chance to watch 20-year-old Elias Mevius, the breakout star of the competition so far.
Who goes home?
France will need a ton of help to avoid elimination, and it has its work cut out for it against Australia. Which team will wind up in the dreaded seventh spot and be sent packing? China and Azerbaijan both sit at 2-4; the former faces a red-hot U.S. team, while the latter faces a sturdy Canada squad. Can former UConn star Tiffany Hayes see Azerbaijan through?
How to watch 3×3 basketball at the Paris Olympics: Aug. 3
The women’s pool play session gets going at 11:30 a.m. ET, with four consecutive games running until 1:30 p.m. (The U.S. will be up last.) After that, the teams will take a quick break and then reconvene for the two play-in games starting at 3:30 p.m. The winners will meet the top two teams in the semifinals on Monday at 1:30 p.m.
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