After Team USA put an end to the feel good story of the competition, dismantling Nigeria with ease, and Australia crushed Serbia, the two teams are going to meet for a spot in the gold medal game in the women’s 5×5 basketball competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The game tips off on Friday, Aug. 9 at 11:30 a.m. ET (NBC).
The United States remains unbeaten, whereas Australia lost its opening game to Nigeria. It was a wake-up call for the Opals. The 13-point loss on July 29 exposed certain flaws in their game, especially not handling the ball properly, as evidenced by the 26 turnovers committed against D’Tigress. After tough wins over Canada and France, by five and seven points, respectively, the Opals made it out of Group B. And after beating Serbia in the quarterfinals, the reward for their hard work is a chance to become No. 60 in Team USA’s streak of consecutive Olympic wins.
The Americans had their quarterfinal game won after three quarters and in the final 10 minutes they were just having fun with it, as head coach Cheryl Reeve gave playing time to some battle-hungry players. Chances of the semifinal game being competitive aren’t good, as it would take a perfect performance from the Opals and an off night from Team USA.
The frontcourt duo of A’ja Wilson…
