For the USA’s 3×3 women’s team, it’s far from the start fans were hoping for. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Team USA lost just one game en route to the Gold medal. This year, however, things haven’t worked out yet, as they started their campaign with three consecutive losses. While a win against Spain in the fourth game has helped keep the hope alive, fans haven’t held back while criticizing the team’s stars, especially Hailey Van Lith.

Team USA lost their first game against Germany 13-17 before losing to Azerbaijan 17-20 in a massive upset. Being arguably the most experienced member on the roster in this format, Van Lith was expected to lead Team USA to glory. However, after leading the team with 6 points in the first game, she had only 5 points in the next loss. Things got worse for her in the next game.

The back-to-back losses put a lot of pressure on the team, with some suggesting they might have to win all their remaining games to still have a chance. However, the third game didn’t prove to be different as they lost to Australis 15-17. Van Lith had just 2 points on 2-6 shooting. Nonetheless, she had a positive impact on the floor, with her +/- being +2.

Now, Team USA stood with a 0-3 record in their pool, sitting at the bottom of the standings. The only option available was to go all guns blazing in their remaining games, and they did that to an extent. With this 17-11 win against Spain, Team USA improved to a 1-3 record but still sits at the bottom of the pool. Van Lith was the star of the show as she had 5 points on 3-5 shooting and played some solid defense. This has kept the hopes alive as wins in the three remaining games will seal them a spot in the Semis.

Well, not a great place to be, but now they have a clear pathway. “We’re gonna have to play tough and get on a roll here, but we still have a chance,” said Van Lith in an interview with the Dallas Morning News. While the team’s roster had three more players other than Van Lith, she’s the only one targeted by fans for failure.

Fans enraged with Van Lith’s performance

Since Hailey Van Lith was part of Team USA’s 2023 3×3 World Cup-winning roster, she’s the one getting the most hate. “Whoever picked Hailey Van Lith should be fired. Literally, she can only shoot. 3×3 ain’t about shooting. It’s about layups and defense,” wrote an X User. For context, the 3×3 game is quite different from 5×5 as it’s fast-paced and uses a half-court for only 10 minutes. That’s why it includes baskets counted as one or two points. This means players need better shooting accuracy to have an edge. But the TCU guard has only a 37.8% shooting accuracy with a mere 2.4 rebounds per contest.

“Team USA 3-on-3 basketball team’s been getting whooped lol But I saw that coming when they put Hailey Van Lith on the team, smh,” penned another spectator. While all the other players on the roster, Cierra Burdick, Rhyne Howard, and Dearica Hamby, are pros, Hailey Van Lith is the only collegiate player present. “Hailey Van Lith needs to be in the performance center,” added another user.

So, Van Lith getting added to the Olympics roster was based on her previous performances. The 22-year-old has a record of returning with a gold every time she enters a 3×3 tournament.

For instance, she’s a 2023 FIBA World Cup and 2019 FIBA U18 World Cup gold medalist. However, this time she seems to be a bit off. “What happened to Hailey Van Lith, man?” asked one fan. Well, representing at the international level is not new to her, but the Olympics is. Unable to understand this transition, spectators are agitated by Van Lith’s current performance.

“Ever since Hailey Van Lith left Louisville, she’s been trash,” was another comment. When Van Lith started off as a top combo guard with Louisville, she earned various accolades. Even her 2019 FIBA World Cup MVP title came when she was part of the team. But in 2023, she got transferred to the reigning national champions, LSU. According to the spectators, her game worsened after entering LSU.

“I really wanna see Hailey Van Lith succeed at TCU. These Olympic games aren’t really going how I’d like them to be,” added another user. Hopeless spectators are now aiming for Van Lith’s comeback in TCU’s regular season after she transferred again. But still, there’s a chance to win. What do you think? Will Van Lith be able to turn heads?

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.