The U.S. Olympic women’s 3×3 basketball team is facing setbacks with key players getting injured. Rhyne Howard, a star player from the Atlanta Dream, left a game against the Minnesota Lynx due to a lower-leg injury. She was leading the team in scoring with 15.4 points per game. Howard will be re-evaluated for the extent of her injury.
This comes after Los Angeles Sparks rookie Cameron Brink suffered a torn ACL in a game the night before, ruling her out for the rest of the season and the Olympics. With only Hailey Van Lith and Cierra Burdick as healthy players on the roster, the team is in need of replacements for Howard and Brink.
Names like Aliyah Boston, Dearica Hamby, and Betnijah Lainey-Hamilton have been mentioned as possible replacements, but it is still unclear who will fill the spots. FIBA rules require teams to have players ranked within the top 10 and top 50 of their country, or earn ranking points through participation in 3×3 events.
Despite these setbacks, players like Stefanie Dolson, Allisha Gray, Jackie Young, and Kelsey Plum are ready to defend their gold medal from the previous Olympics in Tokyo. Plum and Young are also part of the U.S. Olympic women’s 5-on-5 team.
The team is facing challenges, but they are determined to overcome them and compete at the highest level in the upcoming Olympics. Stay tuned for updates on the final roster and how the team prepares for the competition ahead.