A Familiar Foe May Again Stand Between USA And Gold


Already thinking ahead to the gold medal game after yet another USA blowout?

The 12 WNBA superstars tearing through the Olympic tournament, of course, don’t have that luxury. But look no further than the current Group Play standings for a sign of what’s likely to come.

At the top of Group B: USA, as dominant as ever. At the top of Group A? The Australian team they faced in the finals in 2000, 2004 and 2008.

After taking a step back four years ago, the Opals are back and again shaping up to be the Americans’ biggest challenger at the Olympics. And you can bet USA sees it coming — even if they’re focused on the task at hand.

USA vs. Australia at the Olympics

Year Location Result Round
1984 Los Angeles USA 81, Australia 47 Preliminary
1996 Atlanta USA 96, Australia 79 Preliminary
1996 Atlanta USA 93, Australia 71 Semifinals
1984 Los Angeles USA 81, Australia 47 Preliminary
2000 Sydney USA 76, Australia 54 Gold Medal Game
2004 Athens USA 74, Australia 63 Gold Medal Game
2008 Los Angeles USA 92, Australia 65 Gold Medal Game
2012 London USA 86, Australia 73 Semifinals

 

“They’re going to make you work for everything on both ends of the floor, so it’s a grind for 40 minutes,” USA center Brittney Griner said on July 31, following their 104-89 exhibition win over Australia at Madison Square Garden. “That’s what separates them from some of the other teams.”

It was the closest Griner would get to admitting the USA was in for a challenge. “Not to sound cocky,” she also said, “but I’m a competitor and I don’t think anybody presents a problem.”

Australia has gone on to win its first three games in Rio by an average of 13.7 points — nail-biters by American standards, yes, but impressive nonetheless. They sit 0-7 all-time against the USA in the Olympics, keeping three of those games within 20 points. But the Opals have rediscovered a winning formula in these Games that at the least will give the USA coaching staff something to game plan for.

Veteran Penny Taylor, who missed the Games four years ago, has returned with a vengeance, most recently pouring in an Olympic career-high 31 points against France. But that formula mainly revolves around the unique presence of 6-foot-8 center Elizabeth Cambage.

After going for 22 points and eight rebounds against the USA, the former Tulsa Shock draft pick is averaging 19.3 points and 10.7 rebounds in Rio. “There is just no one like her that’s playing basketball right now,” USA head coach Geno Auriemma said after their exhibition.

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Griner laughed when asked about Cambage and made a rare concession: “I think she’s got me, honestly — probably by a couple of inches.”

Griner said Cambage was the only player she ever played against who is bigger than her. The Phoenix Mercury star, who added that she “hate[s] playing against little posts,” knows all too well how to counteract size.

“The one thing I hate is when somebody makes me move,” she said. “I’m gonna do the same thing to somebody that’s bigger than me: try to make them move or set screens and get somebody else open.”

So don’t blame Griner if she has Saturday, August 20 — the gold medal game — already circled on her calendar. You can probably write it in ink with the way things have played out in Rio.

“They’re a really good team,” Griner said. “I would be shocked if we didn’t see them in the gold medal game.”