How did Hailey Van Lith perform in Team USA’s fifth straight Paris Olympics win against China? 3X3 team’s quarterfinal journey explored

After a disappointing 0-3 start to their 2024 Paris Olympics campaign, Hailey Van Lith and Team USA registered their fifth straight win against China with a 14-12 scoreline on Saturday. Van Lith led the team with six points on a 4 of 9 shooting and took two rebounds. Her two-pointer with 2:51 remaining on the clock was a turning point for Team USA as its offense began to excel.

With this win, Hailey Van Lith and Co. have sealed their semifinal berth and will take on Spain on Monday for a spot in the finals. The team recovered immensely from its initial slump and has since posted back-to-back wins on the same day, like those against Spain and Australia on Thursday, along with France and Canada on Friday.

During 3x3 basketball's debut in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Team USA, led by Kelsey Plum, Allisha Gray, Stefanie Dolson and Jackie Young, won gold. Similar results are expected from this roster as well, which consists of Hailey Van Lith along with Cierra Burdick, Dearica Hamby and Rhyne Howard. It looks like they are well on their way to another gold medal if they can maintain the momentum.

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Hailey Van Lith is hoping to honor Kobe Bryant's memory with an Olympic gold

In a Paris Olympics press conference, Hailey Van Lith delved into her close relationship with late Los Angeles Lakers legend, Kobe Bryant. After seeing one of the guard's games in high school, Kobe invited her to train along with his daughter, Gigi Bryant.

Talking about his impact on her performances, Van Lith said (via King5):

"Even after his passing, he's continually showed up for me when I needed to hear from him. Seen a lot of things lately that really just hit hard on what he did for me and what he did for my career.

"Anytime I feel that I start to doubt where I'm at or what I'm doing, I'm just reminded of Kobe's undeniable desire to play and be great, and he saw some of himself in me, and so that's an honor, and yeah, I'm going to do my best to be authentic to myself because that's what he would want me to do."

Kobe Bryant won two Olympic gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics.

After Van Lith finishes her fight for the gold in Paris, she will return home and prepare for her upcoming season with TCU. This will be her fifth and final college eligibility season.

Do you think Hailey Van Lith and Team USA can win a gold? Let us know in the comments section below.

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