The women’s basketball quarterfinals didn’t offer all that much drama, with the U.S., France, Belgium and Australia all winning fairly easy. But Wednesday’s walkovers could produce two thrillers on Thursday: It’s hard to imagine two juicier semifinals on the Olympic stage, with stars and compelling matchups all over the place. Here’s everything to look forward to from Bercy Arena in Paris.
What to watch for in Olympic basketball: Aug. 9
U.S.-Australia rivalry renewed
The matchup that dominated women’s basketball for over a decade is back. The U.S. and Australia have met in six of the last seven Olympic Games, including three straight gold medal showdowns between 2000 and 2008. And while Team USA won all six of those games, no one has shown the ability to more consistently hang with the Americans on the world stage. And now the rivalry is renewed, with a new generation of Aussies hoping to flip the script.
Lauren Jackson is still here, but at age 43, she’s played sparingly in Paris. But the Opals still boast a deep, talented roster, including a number of WNBA players. With Seattle Storm point guard Sami Whitcomb at the controls and Minnesota Lynx power forward Alanna Smith down low, Australia has caught fire since dropping its Olympic opener. They’re big, they’re physical and, unlike a lot of teams in this tournament, they’re familiar enough with the U.S. stars to not be intimidated.
A’ja Wilson and Co. have scarcely been challenged so far in Paris. That could change in a big way on Friday. Tipoff is set for 11:30 a.m. ET.
Can France complete semifinal sweep?
France’s men’s team has already punched its ticket to the gold medal game thanks to a stirring semifinal win over Germany. Now it’s the women’s turn to try and do the same: With do-everything star Gabby Williams at the tip of the spear, Les Bleus have ridden a stifling defense into the semis. But that defense is about to get a very stern test in Belgium, which boasts the tournament’s leading scorer in Emma Meesseman. Meesseman and Williams will rarely be matched up against one another, but this is still a matchup between two of the very best players in the world; it’ll be fascinating to see which star manages to impose her will on the game in a showdown of such contrasting styles. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. ET.
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