July 25, 2021
U.S. 3×3 team undefeated midway through group stage
By The Next
Will face Italy and event's leading scorer on Monday morning
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The U.S. women’s 3×3 basketball team is a perfect 4-0 and in first place midway through the preliminary stage of the Tokyo Olympic tournament.
Following wins over France and Mongolia on the first day of the event’s inaugural appearance on the Olympic agenda, the U.S. doubled on Romania 22-11 and posted a 20-16 win over the Russian Olympic Committee on Sunday.
The ROC was ahead 14-11 with three minutes on the clock, before the U.S. went on a 9-2 run to close. Allisha Gray led the U.S. with eight points, nine rebounds and three blocks.
“It’s great that we played a team like Russia early and had that type of game now,” Allisha Gray told the USA Basketball Communications Department, “rather than not having it until the semifinals or in the gold medal game. So, I think that was a good test for us. It tested our mentality, and we are strong and pulled it out.”
Kelsey Plum is second in the tournament with 29 points, while Gray and Stefanie Dolson are sixth and seventh at 23 and 22 points.
“I’m just proud of the way we battled,” Plum told USAB about the ROC game. “We could have gotten down on ourselves when we got down early, but we didn’t and got the win.”
Next, the U.S. will play Italy (2-2) and Raelin D’Alie, who is the event’s top scorer. The 5’4 guard who is 33 years old has scored 35 points through four games.
That match will tip off at 4:55 a.m. E.T. on Monday, and a meeting with China (3-1) will follow at 8 a.m. ET. The final contest of group play is Tuesday morning at 12:30 a.m. ET against host Japan (3-1). The semifinals and final will take place on Wednesday at Aomi Urban Sports Park in Tokyo. The U.S. will have its work cut out for them, as six of the top dozen scorers in the tournament are on the Chinese and Japanese rosters.
