The United States entered Wednesday two victories away from the first 3×3 Olympic gold medal in the sport’s history. After a close victory, with a controversial call, and a physical bout against the Russian athletes, the USA made history. Here’s how it happened.
Semi-final
Up first was the number one seed after group play, the United States, against the FIBA number one ranked team in the world, France. Unlike their group stage game, where the USA won 17-10, it was a close contest.
USA shooting didn’t match their first matchup against France, hitting just 48% of their one-point attempts and only one of seven two-point shots. Fortunately, their defense came up in big moments. Halfway through the game, the United States was up 10-7, but French guard Laetitia Guapo took an open two-point shot that would have cut the lead down to one. USA guard, and Las Vegas Aces star, Kelsey Plum closed down Guapo and made a leaping block to keep America ahead.
A moment of controversy, especially for French fans who saw their side lose the third-place game to China, came in the 47th second. With the game tied 16-16, French athlete Marie-Eve Paget and Plum both got their hand on a ball that went out of bounds. The referees called it for the United States, which was upheld after a French challenge of the call. Replays showed both player’s hands on the ball, but it wasn’t conclusive enough for the referees to turn it around.
Like many 3×3 contests, it’s a physical game. USA guard Jackie Young was on the wrong end of what looked more like a check in hockey, without a whistle blown. It was one example of many where the teams played without much interruption by the officials.
The United States made it to the foul line twice to end the game. Allisha Gray and Plum both made one of their two attempts. Overall, it was an even performance for three of the four USA athletes, Plum and Gray each scored six, and center Stefanie Dolson scored five but added eight rebounds.
Gold Medal Game
In the final 3×3 women’s basketball game of the Olympics, fouls made all an impact. The United States won 18-15, with eight of their 10 points coming from the free-throw line. Team USA reached the double bonus, where a team can shoot two free throws and then maintain possession. Russian athletes committed five fouls within the first four minutes of the game. Every foul committed by the ROC, for the final four minutes, gave the USA two shots from the charity stripe.
Plum got the United States off on the right foot offensively, scoring five of the first eight USA points. The Vegas guard didn’t care who was posted on her defensively either. Plum took on Russian center Anastasiia Logunova at the basket without hesitation.
Young also had a stronger performance than in the final, making three rebounds in key moments of the game. Young also had moments that don’t show on the stat sheet. The Las Vegas guard didn’t stop moving on the floor. It resulted in saved possession in situations that looked like USA turnovers.
The United States’ rebounding was too much for the ROC to handle. Dolson and Gray contributed nine and six rebounds respectively. Their 15 total rebounds were more than the entire Russian Olympic Committee combined, rebounding just 11.
To the Russian athlete’s credit, they responded to the USA’s largest lead of the game. Down six points, ROC took advantage of American missed shots and moments of defensive lapse.
The Olympic 3×3 event is over in Tokyo, and Team USA can head back to their WNBA teams with a great souvenir from Japan: a gold medal.
For more from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, follow Beyond Women’s Sports. Follow Thomas on Twitter too @1ThomasCostello.
