Defending champion U.S. women finally earn 1st win in 3x3 basketball

Team USA's defense of its gold medal in women's 3x3 basketball got off to a rocky start with three straight losses in pool play, but the Americans have found the win column at the Paris Olympics.

The U.S. improved to 1-3 in round-robin play with a 17-11 victory over Spain. The win came following earlier losses to Germany, Azerbaijan, and Australia.

Hailey Van Lith and Rhyne Howard led the way with five points apiece for the Americans, who made 11 of their 18 shots from the field in the win. Spain, meanwhile, shot 8-of-20 on Thursday.

Despite the win, the U.S. still remains in the basement of pool play, while Spain sits in the middle of the pack with a 2-2 record.

The U.S. men's 3x3 team hasn't fared much better, as it also lost its first three games in Paris after failing to qualify for the competition at Tokyo 2020. Led by former BYU standout Jimmer Fredette, the Americans were soundly beaten by Serbia in their opener before losing a close one to Poland. Fredette was then unable to play in Thursday's loss to Lithuania.

The U.S. women's team will look to keep their winning ways going with matchups against France, Canada, and China to come. The men have a Thursday afternoon game against Latvia to try to earn their first victory.