PARIS – The US women’s basketball team will face Australia in the semifinals at the 2024 Paris Olympics. A’jah Wilson and Breanna Stewart lead the Americans in pursuit of their eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal, which is Diana Taurasi’s sixth, the most by a basketball player.
USA TODAY Sports brings you live updates, highlights and analysis throughout the game. Then proceed.
How to watch USA vs Australia
Peacock Streaming the game.
USA 20, Australia 16 after first quarter
Before this game, coach Cheryl Reeve — or from one of its captains — said the U.S. clearly came out ready to play. The Americans led 12-4, forcing Australia to burn a timeout. Once the Aussies hit their stride, they closed the gap to 18-16. Before that, America got two quick buckets.
2024 Olympic Medals: Who leads the medal tally? Follow along as we track medals for each sport.
Stars to see Team USA in semifinals
As usual, the stars come out to watch Team USA. Kevin Durant sits courtside with Dan Staley, Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe. Vanessa Bryant and her ladies are also in the VIP line.
USA Basketball Lineup vs Australia
- Chelsea Gray
- Aja Wilson
- Brenna Stewart
- Jackie Young
- Nabesa Collier
In the same fifth U.S. first quarterfinal, Jackie Young kept her starting role over Diana Taurasi. Not surprisingly, Young gave the Americans a lift offensively and defensively. She usually guards the other team’s best perimeter player.
USA vs Australia Basketball Prediction
Australia is an experienced, talented team with one of the brightest young stars in the WNBA in Ezi Magbegor. If they’re at full strength (Becca Allen is out with an injury) the Australians can push Team USA because their other WNBA players — Sammi Whitcomb, Alana Smith and others — won’t be intimidated by the Americans. But depth will make the difference here, and America should win comfortably.
Prediction: USA 82, Australia 67
Diana Daraci: Age is just a number
Diana Taurasi’s age (42) has been talked about a lot since the 11-time WNBA All-Star won her sixth gold medal in Paris. But did you know that the oldest player to compete in the tournament — and the oldest to ever play Olympic basketball — is actually Australia’s Lauren Jackson?
After missing the past two Olympics, the three-time WNBA MVP is back with the Opals. He’s in a lesser role, but glad to be here.
Read more about Jackson, Taurasi and 39-year-old LeBron James chasing gold in their “senior” years
USA women’s basketball scores, standings
Women’s Basketball Olympics 2024 Schedule
Here are the remaining events at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
- August 9: Semifinals, 11:30 a.m. ET and 3 p.m. ET
- August 11: Bronze medal game, 5:30 a.m. ET
- August 11: Gold Medal Game, 9:30 a.m. ET
List of USA women’s Olympic basketball team
The USA Women’s Basketball roster includes eight WNBA Champions, three WNBA MVPs and five WNBA Rookies of the Year.
- Guards: Kahlia Copper, Chelsea Gray, Sabrina Ionescu, Jewel Lloyd, Kelsey Plum, Diana Taurasi, Jackie Young
- Forward: Brenna Stewart, Alyssa Thomas, Aja Wilson, Nabeesa Collier
- Center: Brittney Griner
USA women’s basketball coach for the Paris Olympics
Cheryl Reeve, head coach of the WNBA Minnesota LynxWill serve as head coach of the 2024 USA Women’s National Team. Kara Lawson (Duke), Joni Taylor (Texas A&M) and Mike Thibault (Washington Mystics) will serve as Reeve’s assistant coaches. Reeve and his staff previously led the USA Women to a gold medal at the 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup.
How many medals does Team USA Women’s Basketball have?
The U.S. dominates the Summer Games, winning a medal in every Olympics they’ve participated in (they didn’t compete in 1980 due to the nationwide Olympic boycott).
In total, the US women’s basketball team has won 11 medals – nine gold, one silver (1976), and one bronze (1992). US women have won seven straight gold medals since the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
Brittney Griner is more grateful than ever for her first Olympics since her Russian imprisonment
Britney Griner knows the face she presents to the world is often a mask.
She knows what you see — the goofy grin, the 6-foot-9 big kid who loves skateboarding and off-roading, the intimidating shot-blocker on the basketball court — is only part of the truth.
To outsiders, Griner seems to have moved on quickly from his 10-month detention in Russian custody, a terrifying and isolating time that breaks most people. As he poses for photos with fans, banking on eight feet with ease, things seem to be back to normal. But they weren’t, and neither was she.
“It’s always been with me, and of course there are moments like, wow this could be totally different — I can see this beautiful view through the bars,” Griner said Saturday from the USA practice. “It won’t go away. It just makes you appreciate everything a little more.”
Diana Taurasi Olympic gold medals
Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020) are the only two American women’s basketball players to win five Olympic gold medals. Taurasi could become the first athlete to win six gold medals in Paris.
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