U.S. women defeat ROC to win gold in 3-on-3 basketball

Stefanie Dolson, Jacquelyn Young, Kelsey Plum and Allisha Gray of the U.S. celebrate after winning the gold medal

By Dan WoikeStaff Writer

July 28, 2021 6:33 AM PT

TOKYO —

The U.S. women’s basketball team capped one of the Olympics’ boldest experiments, winning gold in its first ever three-on-three event.

Played outdoors in the humidity with a slight breeze, a team of four WNBA players (each team is allowed one substitute) beat members of the Russian Olympic Committee 18-15 to finish first in the inaugural tournament.

Kelsey Plum, Stefanie Dolson, Alisha Gray and Jackie Young lost only once over the five days of play, falling to Japan right before entering the knockout round. They needed to survive a tight semifinal game with France, an 18-16 win thanks to some late free throws, to advance to the finals.

The team entered the Olympics with some uncertainty, especially after original team member Katie Lou Samuelson tested positive for COVID-19. Young replaced her five days before the tournament began last Saturday.

China won the bronze medal.

Three on three was added to the Tokyo Games in 2017, just seven years after it was first introduced as a FIBA sponsored event.