Hailey Van Lith and Team USA did not play well against Germany during its opening game of 3X3 basketball competition at the Olympics on Tuesday. She blamed her poor performance on an illness.
The 22-year-old guard is sick– and not in the figurative slang sense.
Although Van Lith was not at her best, Dearica Hamby, Cierra Burdick and Rhyne Howard did not step up around her. They combined for seven points. Van Lith led the team with six.
Team USA lost 17-13 to a German side that has legitimate medal hopes, so that’s good at least. It’s not like Van Lith and company lost to a bunch of schlubs. But a loss is a loss is a loss and losses won’t fly for a group that expects to win gold. Certainly no less than silver!
Not only did Van Lith not feel well, temperatures in Paris hovered in the mid-90s during the game. The mix of illness and abnormal heat was too much to overcome.
“I think I actually have a cold. I think it was from the rain in the opening ceremony. So, I think it’s a combination of that, but I’ll be fine. I played through it in the NCAA Tournament, so there’s nothing that’s going to take me out.”
— Hailey Van Lith
It is interesting that Van Lith pointed to the Opening Ceremonies, where all participating athletes from all participating countries were forced to stand on a boat in the pouring rain for hours on end. There is something of a mysterious illness going around the Olympic Village, as well as COVID-19.
Perhaps the extended time in poor weather played a role in that spread.
Ms. America 🤩 pic.twitter.com/Of8Qbbqfst
— Hailey Van Lith Muse (@HVLMuse) July 27, 2024
If I am not mistaken, this is also the first time that Van Lith revealed she was not 100% during March Madness. I was entirely unaware that the former LSU point guard was playing through some kind of cold.
However, for her to use the NCAA Tournament as a barometer for success isn’t great…
Hailey Van Lith averaged less than 10 points per game with a total of nine rebounds in four games against Rice, MTSU, UCLA and Iowa. She was barbecue chicken against Caitlin Clark in the Elite Eight.
The good news is that the competition in 3X3 basketball at the Olympics is not nearly the same as guarding the greatest scorer in college hoops history with millions of people watching and Van Lith actually played okay in the United States’ opening match, all things considered. The bad news is that she is not feeling well and will have to play a tiresome schedule in high heat and humidity on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, and twice on Friday.