The U.S women's 3x3 basketball team, which includes L.A. Sparks forward Dearica Hamby, will face Spain in a semifinal Monday, seeking its sixth consecutive victory after beginning play with three losses.
Spain was the Americans' first victim during their winning streak, with the U.S. winning 17-11 Thursday, including an early 6-1 run. Defense carried the U.S. to the victory, as it forced nine turnovers and blocked two shots.
The U.S. then won its final three pool play games, defeating France, 14-13, and Canada, 18-17, Friday, and China, 14-12, Saturday, finishing third in pool play with a 4-3 record.
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Spain was also 4-3, but it finished second -- and avoided a play-in game -- because it scored more points than the Americans, 114-108.
The U.S. advanced to the semifinals with a 21-13 victory over China in a play-in game Saturday with Hamby scoring a game-high 9 points.
"We got two more games that are more important, but we keep getting better each game," Hamby said following the play-in game. "This might've been our best offensive performance in terms of fluidity."
The 6-foot-3-inch, 30-year-old Hamby is the team's leader in scoring with 38 points and rebounds with 36.
The U.S. team also includes forward Cierra Burdick, who played for six WNBA teams between 2015 and 2021 and in Spain, Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard and Texas Christian guard Hailey Van Lith.
All four of Spain's players play for teams in Spain. Two played college basketball in the United States, Juana Camilion at Iona and Grace Alonso de Armiño at Freed-Hardeman University, an NAIA school in Henderson, Tennessee.
The 8:30 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time game will be televised by USA Network and streamed on Peacock.
The U.S.-Spain winner will face the Canada-Germany winner for the gold medal while the losers will play in the bronze medal game. The bronze medal game will be played at noon and gold medal game at 1 p.m. Both games will be televised on E! and streamed on Peacock.
Hamby was selected as a replacement for her Sparks' teammate Cameron Brink, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee June 18 in a 79-70 loss to the Connecticut Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, that will cause her to miss the Olympics and the rest of the WNBA season.
USA Basketball was required to choose a replacement among the top 50 Americans in the FIBA 3x3 rankings or have the minimum number of ranking points. Hamby's playing for the Sparks had no connection to her selection as Brink's replacement, Justin Trujillo, USA Basketball's communications manager, told City News Service.
Hamby is in her ninth season in the WNBA and second with the Sparks. The former Wake Forest standout was the sixth overall selection in the 2015 WNBA draft by the San Antonio Stars. The team moved to Las Vegas before the start of the 2018 season.
Hamby was the league's Sixth Woman of the Year in 2019 and 2020 and a WNBA all-star in 2021 and 2022, helping the Aces to the WNBA championship the latter year.
3x3 is played with a 12-second shot clock on a half court. Baskets inside the arc and free throws are worth one point and baskets made from outside the arc are worth two points.
The winner is the first team to score 21 points, or the leading team at the end of the 10-minute game clock.
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