The 3×3 Team USA’s Olympic gold defense has had a disappointing start. At the hands of first-time Olympians Germany, they faced a shocking 17-13 result at the Place de la Concorde in their opening fixture. While the fans in some way sympathize with former LSU point guard Hailey Van Lith, it appears that WNBA legend Lisa Leslie isn’t too pleased with her efforts. Moreover, she believes that the squad is certainly missing out on the expertise of her former franchise’s latest inclusion, Cameron Brink.

Dialing down the specifics of Team USA’s unsuccessful endeavor against the Germans were 2× WNBA champion Lisa Leslie and Gotham FC great Kelley O’Hara. Pointing out what the team is missing out on, Leslie went first and said, “I don’t know if this is our best team. I feel like we’re missing some size. Cameron Brink not being there hurts us a lot. 6-5, shot blocker, she’s amazing. She can guard on the perimeter. We’re missing her length”. 

Due to an unfortunate ACL tear in her left knee, the 6ft 4in forward is missing out on her chance for an Olympic gold in the 3×3 category. These undesirable circumstances occurred in the Sparks’ 79-70 loss to the previous month. In addition to this, her recovery time also halted her debut professional season with the 2x WNBA champs.

Lelie’s arguments also hold valid grounds considering the fact that Brink was instrumental in Team USA grabbing a gold in the 2023 FIBA 3×3 World Cup. Further, her 39 rebounds and 10 blocks were deemed worthy of an MVP honor.

Leslie then shifted her attention towards one member representing the nation at the event. Expressing her honest take, she further added, “I’m not really sure about Van Lith. She can light it up from the outside. She’s doing a good job leading. But, sizewise, I just feel like the US, this is going to be tough”. 

Evidently, this is not the first time Van Lith has faced criticism. Her defensive mechanisms were questioned by fans earlier. It was at the time when USA Basketball 3×3 locked horns against the Under-23 national team at the All-Star weekend. On top of that, she was at the receiving end of some heavy trolling in LSU’s Elite Eight fixture against Iowa. Then, the 22-year-old received scrutiny for her inability to handle Caitlin Clark. Regardless, she was the team’s leading scorer in their outing against Germany with 6 points.

Anyhow, Lisa Leslie may have a point as the team faced yet another setback.

The concerns of Lisa Leslie come true as Team USA falters again

The miserable times continue for Team USA’s 3×3 contention at the Paris Olympics. Just like the men’s team, they are now 0-2 at the pool stage of the event. Seemingly, their latest encounter against Azerbaijan resulted in a 20-17. “Didn’t think it was going to be that ugly,” one of the team members, Cierra Burdick, expressed after the second loss.

This loss puts a serious dent in the gold medal aspirations of the unit. After finishing at the podium at the Tokyo Olympics, their upcoming fixture against Australia on August 1st will decide their future fate. With still 5 games to go, the team really needs to find their rhythm.

To some extent, Lisa Leslie might be spilling some harsh but true facts. Despite being one of the dominant forces in basketball, the performance from the roster points toward some serious lapses. We will have to wait and see what the response will be going forward.

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