Tears flowed down Hailey Van Lith’s cheeks when the USA 3*3 basketball national team director Jay Demings told her face-to-face about her selection on Team USA roster. Van Lith, who is the only college basketball player in the USA’s 3*3 squad couldn’t control herself and hugged Demings. Such was the overwhelming feeling when she looked forward to the Paris Olympics. And now that she is here, Van Lith wants to enjoy everything about the event and the city. So much so that she even made a guilty confession.

Van Lith, in a recent admission on the TCU Horned Frogs channel admitted to never being to Paris. “And I am also just excited to… I have never been to Paris. I am gonna eat a lot of carbs down there, so… I am saving up right now but I… I just think it is going to be overall just a great experience.” It was only natural for the 22-year-old to express her excitement over the experience the city rich in food and culture has to offer. But that wouldn’t be all Van Lith is looking forward to in Paris.

Finding herself among the sports’ biggest names, the LSU Tiger wishes to make the most of the opportunity. And who better than the most decorated Olympic gymnast, Simone Biles, to be on the side of the sighting? “I think if I got to see Simone Biles, I would probably like fangirl. I really wanna watch her,” Van Lith expresses.

But as Biles bagged her 8th Olympic medal to only elevate her status as the best ever in the field, the guard wasn’t exactly having her best day on the big stage.

In their opening game, Team USA 3*3 lost to Germany on by a 17-13 margin. Van Lith, though, was the highest scorer for her team with 6 points. The hopes, however, still pertain for Team USA to go for gold with 7 more games on the schedule. Whatever the result, Van Lith is grateful for the opportunity.

Hailey Van Lith acknowledges her worth

Van Lith has been playing 3*3 since she was 15 but never envisioned herself representing the category in the Olympics. However, 5*5 was always a dream. She represented the nation as a sophomore and kept at it despite its uncertainty. “I took a chance. A lot of players who make those junior teams, don’t ever become an Olympian. I knew the chances and I was willing to take my shot,” she says. So it is quite an accomplishment for the 22-year-old to find herself on the big stage today.

The main credit for that goes to Van Lith who backed her game and brought gold at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup, FIBA 3×3 World Cup, FIBA 3×3 Under-18 World Cup, and the Youth Olympic Games in 2018 Argentina. Now, as she plays as the youngest on the team and the only college player, she is looking to learn from the veterans while understanding that she is deserving of the opportunity, whatever the noise outside.

“if they think I’m worthy to play for the national team, then that says a lot,” she says via USA Today following the scrutiny over her college hopping. Perhaps, Van Lith finds another opportunity to prove as and when Team USA takes on Azerbaijan next.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.