Olympic Women’s Basketball Report: Stewart & Wilson + USA – Australia Advances to Finals

Game Report

In the early hours of August 10, the Paris Olympic Women’s Basketball semi-final saw the US women’s basketball team face off against the Australian women’s basketball team.

In the first quarter, Jackie Young scored with a mid-range shot first, Talbot responded with a runner, and the US opened up their firepower from the start. Wilson scored in the paint, Collier scored four consecutive points, and the US started with a 12-4 lead, forcing an Australian timeout. After the timeout, Whitcomb hit a three-pointer to stop the bleeding, but the US offense remained sharp, leading 18-9 at one point. Australia then found some offensive rhythm, with Maddern scoring five straight points, Melbourne cutting for a layup, and Australia went on a 7-0 run to close the gap to just two points. Griner scored in the paint to stem the tide, and the US led 20-16 after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Cooper hit a three-pointer first, Griner made one of two free throws, Ionescu and Lloyd also hit back-to-back three-pointers, and the US went on a 10-0 run, extending the lead to 14 points. After the timeout, Australia still couldn’t find their offensive rhythm, and it took more than four minutes into the quarter for Whitcomb to break the scoring drought for Australia. Then George also hit a three-pointer, but the US offense remained efficient, and the lead continued to grow. Collier scored with a layup, and the US led 40-21. Melbourne and Stewart traded three-pointers, and the teams’ scores alternated, with Maddern hitting a buzzer-beating three-pointer at halftime, with the US leading 45-27.

Coming out of halftime, Smith hit a three-pointer first, Jackie Young drew a foul and made both free throws, Maddern scored in the paint, and Wilson quickly responded with a strong move in the paint. Gray hit a trailing three-pointer, and the US led 52-32. Australia had slightly better offense in this quarter, with the scores alternating, Wilson continuously scoring using her individual skills, and the lead hovered around 20 points. The game’s pace was fast, with Stewart scoring in transition, and the US led 58-36. After a timeout, Thomas scored a layup, Stewart completed a 2+1 play, and the lead grew to 27 points. Tolou scored to stop the bleeding, and Thomas completed another 2+1 play, ending the third quarter with the US leading 66-40.

In the final quarter, Cooper hit a three-pointer right away, Tolou responded with a basket in the paint, and the US women’s team did not let up. Cooper drove for a layup, and the lead reached 30 points, forcing an Australian timeout. After the timeout, Australia showed some offensive improvement, with Bolass scoring six straight points, leading an 8-0 run that forced another US timeout. Cooper completed a 2+1 play after the timeout to stop the bleeding, Griner scored with a turnaround layup, and Australia continued to chase points. Wallace hit a floater, Tolou made both free throws, and at one point reduced the deficit to under 20 points. However, the US maintained control of the game’s pace and ultimately won by a large margin over Australia, advancing to the finals first.

Player Statistics

US Women’s Basketball: Stewart 16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal; Young 14 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals; Cooper 11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists; Wilson 10 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals; Collier 8 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals; Ionescu 8 points, 1 assist; Gray 5 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals; Griner 5 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist; Thomas 3 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists; Lloyd 3 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists; Plumb 2 points, 1 assist; Taurasi 1 rebound;

Australia Women’s Basketball: Bolass 11 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist; Tolou 10 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist; Madgen 10 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists; Smith 7 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist; Melbourne 7 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 2 steals; Whitcomb 5 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists; Wallace 4 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal; George 3 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal; Atwell 3 points, 1 rebound; Magbegor 2 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal; Talbot 2 points, 3 rebounds; Jackson 1 rebound, 1 steal;

Starting Lineups

US starters: Gray, Wilson, Stewart, Collier, Jackie Young

Australia starters: Melbourne, Talbot, Smith, Magbegor, Whitcomb