In a thrilling 3×3 basketball showdown, Germany emerged victorious over Spain, clinching the gold medal with a narrow 17-16 win in the final at the Paris Olympics. Sonja Greinacher became the hero for Germany when she sunk a tiebreaking 2-pointer with just 30 seconds remaining, sealing the team’s victory in a tense encounter on Monday night.
The game seemed to be slipping away from Germany as Juana Camilion powered a 3-1 run to put Spain ahead 15-13 with only two minutes left on the clock. However, Elisa Mevius and Marie Reichert came through in the clutch, making consecutive baskets to level the score at 15 with about 90 seconds remaining. With the game hanging in the balance, Greinacher stepped up and knocked down the crucial long-range shot to put Germany ahead by two points. Camilion responded for Spain with a basket, cutting the deficit to one, and when Germany turned the ball over in the dying seconds, Spain had a chance to tie the game at the buzzer. Unfortunately for Spain, Gracia Alonso’s last-second shot fell short, sparking celebrations among the German contingent.
Legendary basketball player Dirk Nowitzki, who was in attendance, raised both arms high in exultation after Greinacher’s heroics on the court. Camilion led the scoring for Spain with six points, while Alonso added five in a valiant effort.
Meanwhile, in the bronze medal match, Hailey Van Lith played a pivotal role for Team USA as they secured a 16-13 victory over Canada. Van Lith’s six points proved crucial as the defending champions fought back from a tough start to claim a spot on the podium.
Reflecting on their journey to bronze, U.S. player Rhyne Howard expressed pride in the team’s resilience, stating, “We could have just laid down and not even been competing this far, but we stayed together, we stayed the course and we made something happen from very little.” The U.S. team had endured a challenging start, losing their first three games before rallying with five consecutive wins. Despite falling to Spain in the semifinals, they bounced back to secure third place after a hard-fought battle against Canada.
The game against Canada was tightly contested, with the North American team holding a narrow lead with just over a minute remaining. However, Dearica Hamby came up clutch for the U.S., making a crucial basket and free throw to put her team ahead 14-13, eventually securing the bronze medal.
