3x3 women defending champs USA break drought to edge Spain at Paris Olympics

PARIS (France) - Defending women's champion USA ignited their Paris Olympics with a tough 17-11 victory over Spain on day three. 

With LeBron James watching courtside, emotionally invested for his compatriots, USA breathed life into their campaign after shutting down Spain, who lost for the second time on the day. 

After a tight loss earlier in the day to Australia, USA were in a big hole at 0-3 and facing the prospect of an early exit. 

 The Americans were desperate and they made the fast start with WNBA player Rhyne Howard continuing her hot shooting from deep as the USA had the jump.

Having made a tough start in the tournament, Howard settled nicely into her rhythm and made a pretty layup. She was also putting effort in on the defensive end, with an emphatic rejection part of a lockdown effort from the USA. 

It was time for superstar Hailey Van Lith to cook as she showcased her mesmerizing handles then nailed a two-piece that made a giddy LeBron celebrate enthusiastically in his seat. 

Vega Gimeno kept Spain afloat, but Dearica Hamby, like Howard a WNBA player who is building into this tournament, made several big defensive plays before Van Lith nailed the dagger two-piece. 

It earned a fist pump from Lebron, who was soon on his feet clapping and acknowledging USA's first win.  

Key Player: Howard had early struggles in the tournament, but she's finding her feet and stepped up with a terrific two-way performance. Her improvement is testament to better chemistry from USA.  

FIBA