Team USA’s 3×3 basketball squads are bringing up the rear at the 2024 Olympics.
The defending gold medal-winning women’s team is off to a disastrous 0-3 start after losing to Australia on Thursday, while the men are 0-2 heading into Thursday’s matchup with Lithuania.
Both teams sit in last place in pool play as of approximately 10 a.m. Thursday morning, putting the two squads in peril of missing the top-six cut.
America is known for basketball excellence and the five-on-five teams are both undefeated, but that excellence is not translating to the 3×3 squads.
The women’s 0-3 start is more shocking considering they are the defending champions, having bested Russia in the previous Tokyo Games in 2021.
This year’s team, featuring college star Hailey Van Lith, lost to Germany in its opener on Tuesday, fell to Azerbaijan on Wednesday and dropped a 17-15 nail-biter to Australia on Thursday morning.
Their fourth contest is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET on Thursday against Spain.
In Wednesday’s 20-17 loss, Aces star Tiffany Hayes gave Azerbaijan an 18-17 lead with six seconds remaining before Van Lith missed a potential game-winning 2-pointer.
“We’re the most inexperienced team here,” Team USA’s Cierra Burdick said after the 17-13 loss to Germany, according to USA Today. “We got a lot of skill, a lot of talent, but that doesn’t win 3×3 games. That’s a prime-time example right there.”
The men did not enter with as high expectations considering they did not qualify for the Tokyo Games in 2021, but they are not instilling much confidence.
The Americans lost a one-sided 22-14 contest to Serbia in their opener before dropping a tighter 17-15 game to Poland on Wednesday.
Team USA, which features former college star and Knicks guard Jimmer Fredette, hit just 2 of 15 attempts from deep in the loss to Poland.
Fredette suffered an injury during the game but managed to finish the contest, per ESPN. He tallied three points.
“I don’t think we’re concerned,” Kareem Maddox said, according to ESPN. “We just know we have some adjustments to make.”