Paris Olympics 2024: Australia Secures Semifinal Spot with Dominant Victory Over Serbia; Belgium Advances
Paris Olympic 2024 Updates: Australia, ranked third in the world going into the Paris Games, is hoping to win its first Olympic medal since winning bronze in the London Games in 2012.
In the women’s basketball tournament at the Paris Olympics, Australia moved to the semifinals after defeating Serbia 85-67 on Wednesday. Jade Melbourne scored 14 of her 18 points at halftime.
The Opals needed to win their group-play match to advance to the elimination stage, and they exacted a little measure of retribution by defeating the nation that had shocked them in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics quarterfinals in 2016.
Australia, rated third in the world going into the Paris Games, is hoping to win its first Olympic medal since winning bronze in the London Games in 2012.
The United States or Nigeria, who play later on Wednesday, will be their semifinal opponent on Friday. The current Olympic champions, the Americans, are aiming for an unprecedented seventh gold in a row. Nigeria won its first Olympic gold since 2004 in Athens, defeating the Opals in the opening match of the Paris Games.
In the Cats’ second Olympics, Belgium advanced to its first semifinal by crushing Spain 79-66. The Cats clapped three times in unison with the supporters, and a few players rushed across the court to celebrate the win.
They will take either the host country France or Germany, which hopes to get to the gold medal round by extending its Olympic debut until Friday.
After a shocking defeat that left the players crying or struggling to contain their emotions in the closing minutes, Serbia is leaving the Olympics early in their third consecutive year. The Serbs finished fourth in Tokyo three years ago and won bronze in their Olympic debut in the Rio Games.
At the break, the Opals were ahead 48–32. Serbia defeated Australia in overtime after Australia blew a 24-point lead in the men’s quarterfinals on Tuesday. That Wednesday was nothing like it for the women.
Nine of Alanna Smith’s 22 points came in the third quarter, as Australia extended its lead to 28 points at one point. For the Opals, Sami Whitcomb scored 15 and Cayla George contributed 17.
Serbia was led by Jovana Nogic with 17 points. Ivana Raca added 10 and Angela Dugalic added 14.
Setting the tone early for Belgium, Emma Meesseman, who last participated in the WNBA in 2022 with Chicago and was an All-Star that season, made back-to-back 3-pointers to start the game.
Internationally, the Belgian Cats have been rising recently, trailing Meesseman. They finished fifth at the World Cup the next year, seventh in the Tokyo Games, and champions of the EuroBasket league the year before. Before this, the Cats had never advanced to the Olympic quarterfinals.
Meesseman broke her own Olympic women’s basketball record of seven straight games with at least 20 points when she finished with 19 points.
Despite losing point guard Julie Allemand shortly before the opening ceremony due to a re-injured ankle that had prevented her from playing for the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA all season, the Cats will now have an opportunity to win a medal.
Three minutes remaining, they also lost center Becky Massey. She quickly fell after severely rolling her right ankle. Despite trailing Belgium 59-37 at the time, Spain showed some class by marking the ball out of bounds and returning it to them.
For Belgium, Kyara Linskens also had 19. Julie Vanloo and Antonia Delaere each contributed thirteen.
Pau Gasol, a former NBA star and current member of the International Olympic Committee, watched from courtside as Spain’s campaign came to a heartbreaking end.
Spain placed sixth at the Tokyo Games three years prior, after winning silver in the Rio Games in 2016. The Iowa native Megan Gustafson, who won the 2019 AP women’s college basketball player of the year award, was added to the Spanish roster last summer after they were eliminated from the 2022 World Cup.
Twelve of Gustafson’s twenty-one points came in the first quarter, including a three-pointer that matched the game at 26 entering the second. The Cats then took charge and led 48-37 at the half after outscoring Spain 22-11 in the second quarter. After leading 19–12 in the third, Belgium led 67–49 going into the fourth. For Spain, Maite Cazorla added thirteen.
Australia exacted revenge on Serbia and secured a spot in the women’s basketball semifinals at the Paris 2024 Olympics with a decisive 85-67 win
Australia made sure there would not be a recurrence by systematically establishing a 26-19 first-quarter lead and never letting it go. Australia was defeated by Serbia at the same stage of the 2016 Rio Games.
Australia easily defeated Serbia 85-67 on Wednesday to secure a rematch and a position in the women’s basketball semifinals of the Paris Olympics.
Australia made sure there would not be a recurrence by systematically establishing a 26-19 first-quarter lead and never letting it go. Australia was defeated by Serbia at the same stage of the 2016 Rio Games.
Alanna Smith scored a team-high 22 points, followed by 18 points apiece from Cayla George and Jade Melbourne.
With the victory, the Australians go to the final four, where they will face the victorious teams from Nigeria and the United States on Sunday in the gold medal game.
Retaliating against Serbia is one thing, but defeating the powerful United States—which is predicted to easily defeat Games newcomers Nigeria later on Wednesday—would be quite another.
The United States is on a 58-match winning streak as they look to capture eight straight and a historic tenth gold medal, much to Australia’s dismay.
The Opals have lost to the United States in three straight Olympic finals (2000, 2004 and 2008) despite winning five medals in women’s basketball. They have also failed to win gold.
More recently, the Americans crushed the Opals 79-55 in the quarterfinals of Tokyo three years ago, dashing Australia‘s hopes of winning a medal.
At the Bercy on Wednesday, Spain plays Belgium, and host France plays Germany in other quarterfinal action.
