‘Take them down a peg’: Opals light fuse for US semi
The Opals have revealed the moment their Paris campaign came to life and fired a shot at their American rivals to add spice to an improbable Olympic semi-final task.
The United States’ women’s basketball team are on a 59-game Olympic winning streak and chasing an eighth-straight title in Paris.
But the WNBA-stacked Opals have thrown down the challenge to their “s***-talking” rivals, confident they have the muscle required in what’s become a Games of attrition.
“It’s just a big rivalry, even in the lead-up to the Olympics, I was playing in the US and they were talking s***,” Alanna Smith, one of seven current WNBA players in the Opals team, said ahead of Friday night’s clash.
“They’ve had a history of winning, but now’s the time we can topple that.
“It would be sweet to take them down a peg, for sure, but we have to prepare for a fight.”
The Opals have flown into the final four for the first time in three Olympics, reviving a campaign that began with a shock loss to Nigeria.
“That was the most physical game I’ve probably been a part of, maybe ever,” veteran guard Sami Whitcomb, playing in her first Games at 36, said.
“It set the tone, let us know this is what we’re in for and if we don’t woman-up, we’re going to get pumped, every single game.
“As s****y as it was … it was the eye-opener, the kick in the arse we needed. Our grittiness, our toughness is there now.”
WNBA commitments meant the Australian-based squad only met up with their American teammates briefly before the Games.
Coach Sandy Brondello has quickly shuffled the deck to find her ideal rotations, managing things superbly in wins over Canada and France that avoided a dreaded early exit.
“You’re seeing the Opals get better, every single half of basketball,” Lauren Jackson, chasing a fifth medal in her fifth Games, said.
“The way they’re coming together, the fast breaks, everything … the girls are really stepping up.
“It’s a new generation, who are playing big roles in the WNBA, they know how to play against the American team.
“In my opinion, we’re there with a shot.”
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