Chihuahua, Mexico • November 28-29, 2021

Outscoring an upset minded Cuba 11-6 over the game's final 3:40, the USA opened 2021-23 FIBA Americas World Cup Qualifying play with a hard-fought 95-90 victory over Cuba on Nov. 29 in Chihuahua, Mexico.

Two-time NBA All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas finished with a USA high 21 points, including a critical 3-pointer with 13.3 seconds remaining in the game, to help seal the USA victory. BJ Johnson added 16 points on 4-of-7 3-point shooting, Brian Bowen II contributed 16 points and added a team-best nine rebounds, while Justin Anderson scored 10 points.

“It was a great game, it was a tough game for us. We didn't play perfect but we got the win and that's the ultimate goal, and we're just gonna learn from tonight,” said Thomas. “You know we just stayed at it, we just stayed the course in the game, we stuck to.”

The USA shot 49.3% from the field and 41.7% (15-36) from 3-point, but Cuba countered by making 51.4% of its shots from the field and 40.0% (10-25) from 3-point. The USA held a 42-33 advantage on the glass.

“Give Cuba a lot of credit. I thought they brought it to us, said USA head coach Jim Boylen. “They were ready to play. Their physicality matched with their skill level tonight. They shot the ball well, they moved the ball. I thought he made a couple great plays at the end. Not only the 3-point shot, but the drive baseline pitch is something that we've worked on for end of game,”  said Boylen of Thomas’ critical 3-pointer.

Falling behind 10-3, the Americans led 22-21 following a 3-pointer from Bowen, but Cuba ended the first quarter with a 16-5 run to take a 37-27 lead into the second quarter. The USA opened the second stanza with a 14-4 run to even the score 41 all. Leading 52-51 late into the second quarter, the U.S., following back-to-back 3-pointers from Zavier Simpson and Bowen, and a Will Davis II jumper, went to locker room ahead 60-53.

Cuba outscored the Americans 24-13 in the third quarter and led 77-73 heading in the game’s final 10 minutes. Cuba’s lead grew to 80-73, but 3-pointers from Bowen and Thomas, were followed by a Thomas traditional three-point play, and the USA was back in front 82-80. Holding a narrow one-point advantage, 85-84, Johnson drained his fourth 3-pointer of the game with 2:44 remaining to lift the USA lead to 88-84. Cuba made it 88-86 with 1:14 to play, but Thomas sank a short floater in the lane to push the USA in front 90-86 with 55 seconds left.

Cuba’s Jasiel Rivero, who tallied a game-high 34 points, made it a two point game once again after scoring with 34 seconds to play. However, Thomas answered one final time for the USA, draining a 3-pointer with 13.3 seconds left. Rivero scored off an offensive rebounds with 6.3 seconds to go, leaving the score 93-90. Johnson was fouled on the ensuing inbounds pass and sank both free throw tries with 5.2 seconds left to seal the victory.

The USA could not overcome a 31-12 third-quarter surge from Mexico, and the USA lost to the host country 97-88 on Nov. 29 in Chihuahua, Mexico.

Mexico shot 17-of-35 from 3-point in the game, including a game-high 27 points from Orlando Mendez, who shot 7-of-11 from behind the arc. The USA, which shot 73.3% in the first half (22-30 FGs), cooled off to just 31.0% from the field during the second half (9-29 FGs) and committed 14 turnovers compared to Mexico’s five turnovers.

“Well, you got to give Mexico credit,” said Boylen. “Obviously, they made shots. They made big plays when they needed it. I thought we fought. I thought we tried. But we didn't have enough defense when we needed it, and that's because of their offense and their shooting.

“We struggled coming out of the half. I thought it was a combination of them (Mexico) executing and making shots and us turning the ball over.”

Thomas was the USA’s leading scorer with 21 points and a U.S.-best 10 assists, but Thomas was forced to leave the game at 6:18 in the fourth quarter after picking up his second technical foul. The USA trailed 82-76 at that point.

The USA worked its way back within three points, 84-81 at 5:03 remaining in the game, but that was as close as the USA would get. The USA’s shooting did not improve, and while Mexico shot 7-of-8 from the free throw line down the stretch the USA managed just 4-of-10 from the charity stripe.

Johnson finished the game with had 15 points; and Harrison and Luke Kornet each contributed 12 points. 

Mexico led 17-15 with 3:37 to play in the opening quarter, but the USA went on a 11-4 scoring run to finish off the first 10 minutes ahead 28-21. Mexico came as close as two points, 30-28 at 8:31 in the second quarter after a 3-pointer, but Haywood Highsmith reeled off seven points for the USA, including one basket from deep, and the USA led 37-28 at 6:57. The teams traded baskets, before the USA put together a 10-2 run to lead by 13 points, 55-42 with 47.5 seconds remaining in the period. Mexico, however, made two 3s in the finals 1:25 of the stanza, including a halftime buzzer-beater that made the score 57-48 at the midway point.    

The USA scored first in the third quarter, but Mexico made its first of six 3-pointers in the third quarter to launch its game-changing run. Mexico tied the score 64-64 at 5:58 and then outscored the USA 15-5 to head into the final period with a 79-69 margin.

While the USA outrebounded Mexico 39-34, Mexico got 12 offensive boards that resulted in 16 second-chance points, and Mexico also had the edge in points off of turnovers, scoring 15 to the USA’s nine. 

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Tokyo, Japan • July 24-August 7, 2021

Overcoming adversity was the golden theme for the U.S. at the Tokyo Olympic 2020.

With the Olympics delayed one year from 2020 to 2021, the 2021 NBA Finals not concluding until July, losing one player to a positive COVID test, and not having all 12 players on the same court until hours before the opening game of the Olympics, U.S. head coach Gregg Popovich successfully piloted the Americans through all those things to win the USA’s fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal.

In claiming gold, the U.S. overcame an opening game 83-76 loss to France on July 25. After clawing back from a six-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter, the U.S. led 74-67 with just 3:41 remaining. But the three-time defending gold medalists’ shooting went cold and France outscored the U.S. 16-2 to take the game. Jrue Holiday led the U.S. with 18 points, 12 of which came during a fourth quarter burst that helped the USA take back the lead. Damian Lillard added 11, Kevin Durant scored 10 and was in foul trouble for much of the game.

Three days after the opening game setback, the U.S. came out strong to beat Iran 120-66 on July 27. Lillard led six U.S. players scoring in double digits with 21 points, all of them coming on 3-pointers (7-13 3pt FGs). Devin Booker added 16 points, Jayson Tatum 14, Zach LaVine scored 13 and also had a team-high eight assists.

The U.S. insured its spot in the quarterfinals with a 119-84 win over the Czech Republic in its final Group A game on July 31. Tatum scored 21 of his game-high 27 points in the second half. Durant added 23 points and racked up team highs with eight rebounds and six assists on a night he passed Carmelo Anthony to become the all-time leading U.S. men’s Olympic scorer. 

A strong second half paved the way to a 95-81 victory over Spain in quarterfinals action on Aug. 3. Spain led 39-29 with 3:25 left in the half, but Durant triggered a 14-4 run to close the half and tie the game 43-43. The U.S. defense kept Spain from a field goal for the opening 5:44 of the third quarter, and offensively, Durant hit a pair of quick 3-pointers and the Americans connected on five of their first six shots from deep to lead the USA on a 22-6 run that turned a tied game into a 65-49 U.S. advantage. Durant scored 13 of his 29 points in the third quarter, Tatum had 10 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter to help put Spain away, while Holiday added 12 points, Lillard 11 and LaVine 10 points. 

Durant scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds as the U.S. stormed back from an early 15-point deficit to surge past Australia   97-78 in the semifinals. Down 41-26 advantage with 5:23 left in the second quarter, the U.S. again stepped up its defense and a 16-4 run to close the half pulled the Americans within 45-42. After Holiday scored the first two buckets of the third quarter, Durant scored the game’s next eight points, and the U.S. went on to outscore Australia 55-33 in the secon half. Booker added 20 points for the U.S., while Holiday finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

With Durant scoring 29 points, including two free throws with 8.8 seconds left to seal the win, the U.S. won its fourth consecutive gold medal, fending off France 87-82 on Aug. 7. Tatum recorded 19 points and seven rebounds, Holiday added 11 points and five rebounds and Lillard had 11 points. Thanks to a 16-6 run to close the first quarter, the U.S. led 22-18 and went on to lead by as many as 13 points before taking for a 44-39 halftime advantage. The U.S. led 71-57 in the third quarter, before France’s trimmed the margin to 71-63. This time the U.S. didn’t go cold down the stretch, even when France pulled within 85-82 with 10.2 seconds remaining. Durant made his two free throws with 8.8 seconds left to seal the gold medal game win.

Durant led the USA's scoring for a third straight Olympics, averaging a USA Olympic high 20.7 points a game..

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Aug. 24-29, 2021 • Debrecen, Hungary

The USA team of Eric Dailey Jr., Gradey Dick, Kyle Filipowski and Keyonte George won six-straight games to capture the gold medal at the 2021 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup from Aug. 24-29 in Debrecen, Hungary, where they were led by USA coach Nick LoGalbo and assistant coach Kelly Carruthers.

The 2021 gold marked the first time the U.S. men had won consecutive titles after also having won the 2019 gold medal. Additionally, the USA 3x3 U18 women also captured titles at the 2019 and2021 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cups, marking the first time the USA had won double-golds at consecutive events.

In its first game on Aug. 25, the USA opened with a 21-17 come-back win over Estonia. Estonia led 14-8 at 3:35, but two points from Filipowski and a score from Dailey kicked off a 13-3 U.S. run that closed out the win for the USA. With the USA leading 19-17, George sank a game-winning 2-pointer with 7.0 seconds on the clock. George led the USA with nine points, Filipowski finished with eight points and Dailey added three points.

Also on Aug. 25, the USA topped Slovenia 21-13 on the momentum of an 11-4 closing run. The USA went ahead 5-1, but Slovenia cut it to 7-6 at 6:24. Two points from Dick and one from Filipowski gave the USA a 10-7 cushion, and Slovenia responded for a final time, converting a two-point play to make it 10-9 at 4:43. The USA put together five unanswered points before Slovenia made a 2 to make it 15-11 at 2:34. Three quick points from the USA improved the lead to 18-11 and all but secured the win. George, who led with nine points, ended the game at 21-13 on a driving basket with 40 seconds on the clock.

The USA wrapped up pool play on Aug. 27 with a 22-8 win over Latvia to earn the No. 1 seed from Pool D. The USA jumped out to an 8-1 lead at 7:31, and after allowing one score, reeled off eight-straight points to go ahead 16-2. With the Americans up 20-8, George was fouled in the process of making a 2-pointer, and those two points gave the USA the 22-8 victory with 2:33 on the clock. George finished with nine points, Filipowski scored six, Dick added four and Dailey had three points.

In the quarterfinals, the USA defeated the No. 2 seed from Pool B – Lithuania – 21-13 with 2:17 left.

The defeated Lithuania (3-2) 21-13 with 2:17 left on the clock in the quarterfinals the No. 2 seed from Pool B. Two scores from George kicked off a 9-1 run, and the USA led 12-4 at 6:47 when Dailey made a 2-pointer. Lithuania rallied to cut the margin to 12-8 at 6:10, but the USA added four quick points to go ahead 16-8 at 5:09. Lithuania attempted a final rally, scoring four straight points to make it 18-13 at 3:28, but the USA got two points from George and Dailey closed out the 21-13 victory with the game-winning slam at 2:17. Dailey had eight points, George tallied seven points, Dick added four and Filipowski had two points.

The USA won its semifinal in convincing fashion, 21-13, over Belarus. The USA led 5-1 before Belarus tied the game 5-5 at 6:57. After a 2-pointer from each side, the USA added four straight points to go ahead 11-7, and Belarus could not catch up after that point. Belarus came within three points, 15-12, but George responded with four points to give the USA a 19-13 lead. Filipowski scored the final two points for the USA, ending the game 21-13 at 44.0 seconds. George had eight points, Dailey finished with five points, Filipowski contributed four points and Dick had three.

The gold medal game was a rematch of the first game of the tournament for both teams, which saw the USA beat Estonia 21-17 on Aug. 25. Estonia got out to a 6-2 lead, but the USA worked its way back to tie the game 7-7 on a 2-pointer from George at 5:22. After Estonia scored a free throw, a point apiece from Filipowski, George and Dick launched a 10-0 U.S. run that ultimately decided that game, and the score was 17-8 when George made another 2 at 2:48. Dick made it 20-12 with a 2-pointer at 1:08, and after a 2 from Estonia, Dailey ended the 21-14 win with a driving score with 38.0 seconds on the clock. Filipowski had nine points, George had seven points, Dick added three and Dailey finished with two points.

Dailey won an individual gold medal in the dunk contest, while George, who was the tournament’s leading scorer in points per game (8.2 ppg.) and the second leading scorer in total points (49), was named tournament MVP. He was joined on the all-tournament team by Estonia’s Markus Heinakroon and Belarus’s Illia Milasheuski. 

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Aug. 24-29, 2021 • Debrecen, Hungary

The USA women captured gold at the 2021 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup gold medal with a 6-1 record from Aug. 24-29 in Debrecen, Hungary, including team members Janiah Barker, Ayanna Patterson, Kiki Rice and Mikaylah Williams, USA coach Nick LoGalbo and USA assistant coach Kelly Carruthers.

The USA men also won gold at the 2019 & 2021 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cups, so it marked the first time the USA had swept the podium at consecutive events.

The USA women’s first game on Aug. 24 also was the first game of the FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup, and the USA defeated Belarus 19-13. After a close start, the USA got some separation with a score from Barker and free throws from Rice to go ahead 9-5 at 5:34. The USA pushed its lead to five before Belarus cut the defitcit to three points, 15-12, with a 2-pointer at 2:11. The USA responded and restored an 18-13 margin with 22 seconds remaining. Rice, who scored seven points, put the final point on the board with a free throw as the USA earned the 19-13 win. Rice had seven points in the game, Williams finished with five, Barker scored four and Patterson added three points.

The USA made five 2-pointers on the way to a 21-7 win over Slovenia on Aug. 24 that ended with 3:41 on the clock. The USA raced out to a 5-0 lead, and while Slovenia’s first four points came from behind the arc, the USA built a 15-4 advantage by 5:31. The USA outscored Slovenia 6-3 over the next two minutes, and back-to-back scores from Patterson ended the contest, 21-7. Williams had 10 points.

The USA defeated Mongolia 21-8 on Aug. 26. The USA led 3-0 early and only improved its margin from there. At least five of the USA’s scores were set up by offensive rebounds. Williams made the USA’s only 2s in the game, including the game-winner with 2:22 on the clock for nine points in the 21-8 win. Rice added three points, while Barker had two points. All three of Mongolia’s 2-pointers came from 5-foot-6 guard Enkhsolongo Ganbat.

The USA fell to Russia 2017 on Aug. 26 in its final preliminary round game. The USA started with momentum, racing out to a 7-1 lead. Russia, which was playing to not to be eliminated from the quarterfinals, made its first run to cut the margin to 7-6 at 4:57. Each time the USA pulled away, Russia found a way to stay close. Barker scored a layup at 4:06 to put the USA in front 11-6, and after 2-pointers from each side, the USA led 13-8 with just over two minutes to play. Russia scored twice to cut the lead to 15-13 with 1:14 left to play. The USA went ahead by four points, 17-13, but that is when Russia made its game-changing rally, scoring the final seven points for the comeback win. Russia’s final four points from the free throw line, which were scored in the last eight seconds, were followed by it getting the ball back, because the USA had reached the 10 foul limit. The USA committed its seventh foul and entered the penalty at the 1:51 mark, while Russia entered the bonus with six minutes to play, and then committed its 10^th foul with 1:40 left in the game. Williams had six points, Barker had five, Rice had four and Patterson added two points.

With a three-way tie atop the Pool B standings between the USA, Russia and Belarus at 3-1, the USA’s 78 total points were enough to claim the group’s No.1 seed into the quarterfinals. Russia scored just enough points against the USA to secure the No. 2 seed from Pool B, and Belarus ended its participation in the tournament.

The USA was in control throughout its 18-4 quarterfinal win over Estonia on Aug. 28. Williams put five of the USA’s first six points on the board, including a 2-pointer that made it 6-0 in the USA’s favor at the first TV timeout at 6:42. Estonia managed a free throw at 5:32, which made the score 8-1, but the USA did not let Estonia score from the field for the first 7:26. By the time Estonia connected on a made basket at 2:34, the USA led 16-2. Estonia made two more scores to make it 16-4, but Barker and Williams each added a point for the USA as the game clock expired on the 18-4 win. Williams had eight points, Rice finished with five points, Barker had three and Patterson contributed two points.

In a tightly contested semifinal, the USA held on for the 15-14 win against Germany on Aug. 29. Germany went ahead 3-0, but the score was tied at 5-5 at 5:43. The USA twice pushed its advantage to five points, including on a 2-pointer from Williams at 2:24 to make it 12-7 and at 2:06, when a score from Patterson made it 13-8. Germany scored and hit a 2-pointer to start its comeback attempt, trailing 10-13 at 1:17. Rice scored for the USA, but Germany added consecutive points to make it 14-12 at 25 seconds. Williams made a layup coming out of a timeout, and the U.S. led 15-12 at 16 seconds. Germany made a 2-pointer with one second left in the game to make it 15-14, and the game clock expired on the USA victory. Williams had eight points, Barker and Rice each scored three points and Patterson added one point.

The USA claimed gold medal on Aug. 28 with a 21-14 win over Spain that concluded with 3:44 left on the clock. The game was tied seven times in the first 5:10 and neither team led by more than two points until it was 14-14 with 4:50 on the clock. Williams scored four points, followed by a score from Barker, and the USA led 19-14 at 4:10. The under-four-minute timeout was called at 3:46. Williams stood at the top of the arc to enter the ball, and instead she pulled up to sink a 2-pointer to end the game with 3:44 left on the clock. Williams had 10 points, Barker scored six, Rice added three and Patterson had two points.

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Montevideo, Uruguay and Córdoba, Argentina • August 25-September 3, 2017

It had been 10 years since the United States last competed in its zone championship.

While the format of the competition was different and the official name of the Americas Championship had been altered to the FIBA AmeriCup 2017, the results weren’t much different.

Featuring a team directed by former NBA coach Jeff Van Gundy and relying on a roster consisting primarily of NBA G League players, the USA’s success was a remarkable story of team coming together very quickly and working to improve each day and every game.

“We took the competition very seriously. Our team was into it. They wanted to do something special together, and we knew going on the road, both to Uruguay, which was an outstanding team, and here at Argentina, which is a great, great team - that we would have to play well and be mentally strong,” said USA skipper Van Gundy. “To me, that was the greatest thing ... We grew in our mental strength. We stuck together and we fought together. Ultimately, we won together.”

Riga, Latvia • July 3-11, 2021

For the fourth time in the past five FIBA U19 World Cup events, the United States men collected the gold medal (2021, 2019, 2015, 2013). Under the guidance of TCU head coach Jamie Dixon, who led the USA to gold in 2009, the Americans compiled a perfect 7-0 record.

Averaging 95.0 points a game, the USA’s average winning margin was 29.7 points a game.

Opening play against Turkey and posting an 83-54 win, the Americans got a strong performance from Jaden Ivey, who tallied his tournament-high 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while Chet Holmgren chipped in a near double-double with 13 points, and nine rebounds. The USA's second game saw a huge 100-52 win over 2019 U19  silver medalists Mali with six players scoring in double-digits. Caleb Furst (14 points), Ivey (14 points) and Kenneth Lofton Jr. (14 points) led the way offensively. The USA forced 25 turnovers in the game and made 29 free throws, three makes shy of the USA U19 World Cup single-game record.

The USA finished out preliminary round play against a tough Australia team, but the U.S. defense held strong, blocking 12 shots, on the way to an 87-66 win. Mike Miles paced the USA with 16 points, while Lofton scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds. In the round of 16 match up with South Korea, the USA put forth a record-breaking performance with a 132-60 win. The Americans broke the USA U19 men’s single-game record in rebounds (62), assists (39), field goals made (57) and field goals attempted (92) and recorded the second-most points (132). Eight players scored in double figures and were led by a Holmgren double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Peyton Watson recorded his tournament high 15 points to go with nine rebounds, six assists and four blocks.

A 30-point quarterfinals win over Senegal 88-58, sent the USA to the semifinals. The Americans went on a 14-4 run in the first 3:20 of the game, ending the quarter up 32-14 and never looked back. The USA forced Senegal into 28 turnovers in the game. The semifinal match up against Canada was a back-and-forth battle, and the USA held just a six-point lead (69-63) heading into the fourth quarter. A 17-0 USA run in the fourth that was the difference, as the U.S.held Canada scoreless for 3:36 to secure a 20-point lead (88-68). Despite Canada hitting some late shots down the stretch, the Americans earned the win and advanced to the gold medal game.

In the gold medal contest against France, the game came down to the wire, but the USA’s balanced team effort and unselfish play helped lead them to the 83-81 victory. The USA surrendered the lead at the 8:26 mark of the second quarter and wouldn’t regain an advantage until late in the fourth quarter. The Americans regained the lead at the 6:51 mark in the fourth quarter when Holmgren laid it in high off the glass to take a 69-68 lead during an 11-0 run. The USA held onto the lead until the final buzzer. The Americans were led by Ivey with 16 points; Lofton finished with 16 points and seven rebounds; Adam Miller added 12 points; Miles contributed 11 points; and Holmgren tallied 10 points.

Holmgren who averaged 11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.7 blocks per game overall, was named FIBA U19 World Cup MVP. He was joined on the All-Star Five by Ivey, who contributed 12.3 points, 3.0. rebounds and 2.1 assists throughout the tournament. Rounding out the All-Star Five was Zach Edey (Canada), Nikola Jovic (Serbia) and Victor Wembanyama (France).

“I couldn’t be happier for everybody on the team, we came together, and we had a lot of guys perform to get here,” stated Holmgren. “It wasn’t a one or two guy thing, it was the whole team and we needed everybody to get here.”

Dixon was assisted by Stanford University head coach Jerod Haase, and Yale University head coach James Jones.

“We battled. We were worn down, but we battled down the stretch and found a way, so I am proud of them,” said Dixon. "It's a grind, there's no question but there's a lot of joy in it. Coach Jones and Coach Haase, the time they put in, the scouts they did, the coaching, the substituting, they were tremendous.”

May 26-30, 2021 • Graz, Austria

The USA finished 6-0 at the FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament from May 26-30 in Graz, Austria, and, most importantly, qualified the USA to compete in the inaugural Olympic 3x3 competition.  

In the USA’s first game against Indonesia on May 27, the Americans cruised to a 21-7 win when Allisha Gray capped the contest with a made free throw with 4:03 left on the clock. Stefanie Dolson and Gray combined to help the USA get out to a 7-0 lead as the USA sank six 2-pointers against Indonesia. Dolson finished with eight points, Gray had seven and Kelsey Plum added four.

Against France in its second game, the USA faced FIBA’s No. 1. ranked women’s federation (the USA women were No. 12), and fought its way to a 21-17 victory that included five tied scores and three lead changes. The USA trailed 5-1 but rode a 9-3 run to make it 10-8 in the USA’s favor at 5:51. A 2 gave France the lead back, but the USA pushed ahead to 16-14 with points from Gray, Katie Lou Samuelson and Dolson. After a France score, Gray drove to the basket and Samuelson sank a 2-pointer to put the USA up 19-15. France threatened at 19-17, but Plum closed out the win with a driving basket at 40.0 and the free throw to end the game.

In its final day of preliminary games on May 29, the USA started with a 21-12 win over Germany. The USA led 6-2, but with her third 2-pointer to start the game, Germany’s Satou Sabally, the No. pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft and a Dallas Wings teammate of USA guard Gray, pulled her team even at 6-6 at 6:34. A free throw from Samuelson and 2 from Gray gave the USA a 9-6 advantage, but Germany closed the margin to 10-9 at 5:11. Samuelson and Dolson added points to make it 12-9, and that was the start of a 9-3 USA run to close the game. Plum scored all seven of her points among the USA’s last nine scores, including the game-winning free throw with 54.5 seconds on the clock to seal the victory. Samuelson added six points, Gray had five and Dolson had three.

The USA next secured a 22-5 win over Uruguay that saw Dolson, Gray and Samuelson each score six points and Plum add four. The USA jumped ahead 7-0 and never looked back. By the time Dolson made a 2 at 5:41, all four U.S. team members had made a 2-pointer, and the USA led 14-3. The USA would make six 2s in the game, including Gray’s final 2, which gave the USA the 22-5 win with 3:05 on the clock.

Entering the quarterfinals as No. 1 seed, the USA took on Belarus and earned a 21-10 win. It took a minute for either team to get going, but the USA built a 6-1 lead at the first media timeout at 6:26. Unlike previous games, the USA scored by 1s only until the 3:35 mark. Samuelson, who finished with five points, made a 2 to bring the score to 14-6. Gray had four of her six points in the final few minutes, alternating scores with Plum, who made her second 2 to end the game at 21-10 with 1:41 on the clock. Plum finished with seven points, Gray had six and Dolson had three.

Against Spain in the semifinal, the USA got out to a 6-2 lead, but with a 2-pointer at 6:30 Spain pulled within one point, 7-6. The USA immediately responded, and Dolson, Plum and Gray added points to push the Americans in front 13-6. From there Spain would get no closer than four points, 14-10 at 2:34. To cap the win, Plum dished to Dolson for a score inside that made it 21-13 with 21.2 seconds on the clock. Dolson and Gray each finished with seven points, Plum had four and Samuelson scored all three of her points from the line. The USA only gave up two 2s to Spain in the game.

The USA and France, which won the other semifinal, as well as Japan, which was the winner of the third-place game, earned historic Olympic berths.

The U.S. offense was balanced overall. Gray led with a total of 39 points (6.5 ppg.), Dolson totalled 34 (5.7 ppg.), Plum recorded 32 points (5.3 ppg.) and Samuelson had 22 (3.7 ppg.) – averaging a total of 21.2 ppg. as a team.

Plum was named to the all-tournament team, where she was joined on the three-member team by Migna Touré of France and Japan's Stephanie Mawuli, who also was MVP.

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July 24-28, 2021 • Tokyo, Japan

The U.S. team of Stefanie Dolson, Allisha Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young, led by coach Kara Lawson, made history and won the first Olympic 3x3 gold medal with an 8-1 record in Tokyo.

In its first game against France on July 24, with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and French president Emmanuel Macron in attendance, the went on a 4-1 run before France scored three points to pull to within one point, 9-8. From there, a 5-0 spurt gave the USA a 14-8 lead, and the USA finished off the game for the 17-10 win. Dolson had seven points, and Plum added six points.  

In its second game on July 24 the USA led against Mongolia 11-1 cruised in for the 21-9 win that ended with a score from Dolson with 3:00 minutes on the clock. Gray had nine points, Plum had six points, and Dolson added five points and seven rebounds.

On July 25 against Romania, with the USA holding a 7-6 edge, Plum sunk a 2-pointer with 6:47 on the clock to spark a 6-1 run that ended with a field goal by Dolson that put the USA up 13-7. The U.S. continued to pull away from there, and with 2:38 to play, Plum sealed the game with a 2-pointer to give the U.S. a 22-11 victory. Plum scored 12 points, and Dolson had six points.

Against Russian Olympic Committee on July 25, the USA trailed 5-2 before Plum and Gray combined for four straight points to give the USA a 7-5 lead. ROC answered back, and the USA fell behind 10-7. Gray tied the game 10-10 at 3:44, but the USA was down 14-11 at 2:55. Dolson was fouled at 2:47, and with ROC over the limit, Dolson made both free throws to pull the USA within one point, 14-13. After an ROC turnover, Gray netted a 2-pointer, followed by a Plum drive, and the USA led 16-14. ROC scored at 1:38 to make it 16-15, but the USA added  a point from each athlete and gave up just one more to ROC to bring the game to its 20-16 final as time expired. Gray led the USA with eight points.

The USA kicked off day three on July 26 versus Italy. With the USA holding a 7-6 lead midway through, Dolson scored six straight points to put the Americans in front 13-10. Italy made its second straight 2-pointer to close within one point, 13-12. Plum made it 15-13 with under a minute to play, and neither team was able to connect from the field from there. At 18.7 seconds and with Italy over the foul limit, Gray made two free throws for the 17-13 win.

The USA’s closest contest was its game against China on July 26, which was tied nine times, including at 17-17 when Dolson scored at 1:33 to push the U.S. ahead 18-17. China evened the score 18-18, but Gray countered at 48 seconds  to lift the U.S. ahead 19-18. China tied the score at 19-all at 41, and Plum ended the affair with a game-winning 2-pointer with 34 seconds left on the clock. Plum scored 10 points, and Gray added five points, five rebounds and three blocked shots. The USA outrebounded China 18-9.

On July 27, with its No. 1 seed into the semifinals already secured, the USA lost against Japan 20-18. The USA committed its seventh foul at 2:37 and Japan made both free throws to cut the USA lead to 14-13. After a score from each side, Japan made a 2 to go ahead 16-15 at 2:01. Dolson scored twice to put the USA ahead 17-16, but Japan scored a layup and another 2 to lead 19-17 at 1:03. Gray scored the USA’s final basket at 40 seconds to pull within one 19-18, but Japan led 20-18 with 31 seconds to go. In the final 30 seconds, the USA missed two attempts and had a turnover, and Japan earned the win. Dolson scored seven, and Gray had five.

On July 28, the USA held off France for an 18-16 semifinal win. The U.S. was up by four points three times, including 12-8 at 4:12. France tied it at 16-all at 1:07, but with 34 ticks left, France committed its seventh foul, and Gray made a free throw to push the USA ahead 17-16. Plum scored the USA's final point from the line with five seconds left, and France's final shot was off the mark. Gray and Plum had six points apiece.

The USA earned the first gold medal in Olympic 3x3 history by defeating Russian Olympic Committee 18-15 on July 28. The USA led 6-1 early, and with the USA ahead 9-5, the USA scored a pair of free throws and a 1-pointer to go up 12-5 at 3:53. ROC cut the lead to 12-9 but was whistled for its ninth foul at 3:07, and Young sunk both free throws to put the USA up 14-9 lead. ROC came within three points four more times, including the final 18-15 score, but the USA proved too strong for the ROC to overcome. Plum had five points, and Gray notched four points.

China (7-3) beat France (5-5) for the bronze medal. 

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