• Home
  • About/Contact
  • Media Tips
  • Posts of Note
  • WBBall Writers
  • WHB T-Shirt
  • Women’s Basketball Library – Books etc.
  • Women’s Basketball Timeline – Since 1891

Women's Hoops Blog

Inane commentary on a game that deserves far better

Feeds:
Posts
« It was a good day to be part of
And the beat(down) goes on… »

Well, that was a delightfully nerve-wracking start

August 9, 2012 by Helen

to a pretty glorious day, no?

Everyone knew the Aussies were going to be a handful. Most knew that it would come down to how the US handled the Opals size inside and how the Aussies matched up against the American depth and conditioning. A quick compare and contrast the halves via the box score tells an accurate tale. (And the free throw shooting shows how much pressure everyone felt – very Elite Eight-ish, no?)

Various folks (none, of course, from the NY Times. They haven’t even bothered to link Doug yet.) on the game:

From Doug: U.S. holds on, defeats Australia

Now this was something new. The U.S. women’s basketball team faced its first Olympic halftime deficit in 12 years on Thursday night as it tried to reach the gold medal game for the fifth straight time.

Not to worry.

From Full Court, Clay writes, Team USA finally wears down Australia, advances to gold medal game and Lee asks London 2012: Will semis loss to the U.S. be the end of an era for Australian women’s basketball?

Deep in the bowels of North Greenwich Arena, home to London 2012’s men’s and women’s basketball contests in their knockout stages, in a rabbit warren known as the mixed zone, one of the few areas in the Olympic venues where athletes and the media are permitted to interact, Kristi Harrower stood crying.

And not just a tear or two dripping down her sweaty cheeks, but full-fledged sobs — to the point where the Australian reporter standing next to me, as most of the press engulfed the handful of U.S. players who had made it past the broadcast access points, said he found himself choking up himself. As for myself, I felt so moved by Harrower’s uncensored emotion that I contemplated risking my Olympic credential by reaching across the metal barricade that separated us and giving her a hug. Then, like a coward, I thought better of it, and allowed the scene to continue, one lonely woman standing there crying, some six or so of the rest of us, journalists, Australian team handlers, and Olympic volunteers alike, awkwardly shuffling from foot to foot and wondering what to do.

Mechelle writes from her Room with a View of the television: Deeper, more fit USA tops Australia – Americans will play for their fifth consecutive gold medal after rallying in semifinals

Well, if you’ve watched the Americans throughout this Olympic tournament, you probably suspected their defense would kick in during the second half. And it did. Cambage didn’t score after halftime and didn’t even seem nearly as involved in the game.

From Jackie MacMullen: Taurasi, Team USA to play for gold – Americans rally from four-point halftime deficit for 86-73 semifinal victory

So it happened. Somebody finally punched the United States women’s basketball team squarely in the face.

And you know what? U.S. tri-captain Diana Taurasi kinda liked it. Not trailing by four points at halftime, exactly, but the fact this semifinal Olympic game against Australia was edgy, contested.

“Not the worst thing for us,” she suggested.

Over at the Examiner, it’s Mike Peden

Australia center Elizabeth Cambage had a powerful first half, but the United States had a more powerful overall game.

That effectively summed up the semifinal bout of the Olympic Games tournament between the two meccas of women’s basketball, with the United States continuing their dominance of the rivalry, winning 86-73 Thursday at North Greenwich Arena in London, England.

The Sporting News’s Sean Deveney:

It is as if Sue Bird knew what was coming.

Before Team USA settled in to face Australia in the semifinals at North Greenwich Arena, Bird warned that in her experience, the semifinal has been the toughest game the Americans have had to contend with. And, facing an Australia team they had dealt with in the gold-medal game in the three previous Olympics, there was little doubt the game would be difficult.

It did not disappoint.

Reuters’ Larry Fine: Olympics-Basketball-U.S. beat Australia, into women’s final

“We’ve played a lot of basketball in the last month with my team and I don’t think anybody’s played better against us than Australia did in that first half,” said U.S. coach Geno Auriemma. “That was an impressive display of basketball.”

K.C. Johnson (with a little drop-by from Pokey) at the Chicago Tribune says:

The U.S. women’s basketball team has won games with its talent and tenacity, its defense and depth.

On Thursday, in a taut semifinal far closer than the final score indicated, it used all those qualities and added one more: its leadership.

Ray McNulty at Scripps Howard News Service: U.S. women’s basketball team struggles, beats Australia

The world’s best women’s basketball team found itself in an unusual predicament as it walked off the floor Thursday midway through its Olympic semifinal game against Australia.

Behind on the scoreboard.

“I don’t think we’ve ever been down going into halftime,” U.S. forward Candace Parker said.

Jeff Zillgitt’s USA Today headline writer gets a little carried away: Moore carries U.S. women’s basketball team to final

It wasn’t Moore’s finest offensive performance. She made 4 of 10 shots and coach Geno Auriemma spoke from experience, having coached Moore for four seasons at UConn. At 23, she is the team’s youngest player.

“This is her first experience at the Olympics,” Auriemma said. “She kind of played the way she did when she was a freshman at Connecticut. Every time she touched it, she shot it. Today, it helped us and hurt us, and other players reminded her, ‘Hey.’ She was so hyped up because she wanted to play so well.”

William James from Reuters adds, “Amazing” Cambage make U.S. sweat for victory

Over at the Wall Street Journal: U.S. Women Squeak By Australians in Basketball

Kelli Anderson at Sports Illustrated writes:

There was no need to panic, really. The U.S. women’s basketball team had been in close Olympic matches before, and it had been down at the half before. It might take a little research to confirm that, but after the USA’s 86-73 semifinal victory over Australia on Thursday, U.S. co-captain Sue Bird insisted that it has happened, even recently.

“Everybody thinks we steam roll, but go look at previous Olympic box scores, that’s not always the case,” she said.

From Jim Morton at the NZ Newswire: Cambage has lessons to learn: Graf

Opals coach Carrie Graf hopes rising basketball star Liz Cambage learns her lessons after sparking a Twitter storm before Australia’s gold-medal dream ended on Thursday night.

Cambage had initially laughed off suggestions she took a swipe at swimmer Stephanie Rice over her purported fling with married US basketballer Kobe Bryant in the lead up to the 86-73 semi-final loss to US. (Oiy vey)

Some fun shots of the game at the Sacto Bee.

From Roy Ward and the Greater Dandenong Weekly: London 2012: Cambage and Rangers stars do Aussies proud against US

From the busy folks at USA Basketball: USA Women Rally Past Australia 86-73 To Advance To Gold Medal Game. They also have post-game quotes and photos. From Augustus:

On the team’s second half effort:
When Sue Bird has to yell at you about something it’s a problem. I think everybody took it personally, the way we defended in the first half. It was very disappointing to see Cambage get easy shots like she did. So they came out and played awesome and the second group just took it upon themselves to be a little more aggressive and put the pressure on Australia early.

By virtue of their 17-point win over Russia, les Rouge, Blanc et Bleu will face Les Bleus

“Nobody talks about us. We don’t exist in the Olympic Village,” said French coach Pierre Vincent. “The only way to exist is to win. I told the girls in the locker room, if we win, we will exist.”

Yah, you predicted that final. Not.

From Doug:

France just doesn’t want the Olympic party to end.

Singing and dancing their way around the court after knocking off another women’s basketball power, France advanced to its first gold medal game with a 81-64 victory over Russia on Thursday.

Edwige Lawson-Wade scored 18 points and Emilie Gomis added 15 points for France, which will play the U.S. on Saturday in a matchup of the only two unbeaten teams in the tournament.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn

Posted in International, USA Basketball | Tagged Australian women's basketball, Becky Hammon, Candace Parker, Diana Taurasi, dumeric, edwidge-lawson, French women's baskeball, Geno Auriemma, Kristi Harrower, Liz Cambage, Russian women's basketball, Tina Charles |

  • Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 1,653 other followers

  • Recent Posts

    • Aaaaaand we’re off!
    • Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2018
    • THIS is why
    • In Tenerife and thinking…
    • Quick hits from Tenerife
  • Blogroll

    • Across the Timeline
    • Arena Apothecary (Atlanta Sports etc.)
    • C&R's Stanford Blog
    • Cal Triple Threat Blog
    • Cardinal Couple: Louisville Women's Athletics
    • DC Basketcases – Maryland/not really the Mystics
    • Doggydaddy's Den – A UConn Blog
    • Holding Court with Geno Auriemma
    • Houston Roundball Review
    • Hustle Belt: Some MAC women's basketball
    • Jim Fuller – UConn/Sun
    • John Altavilla – UConn
    • Just Shooting Hoops – Women's Basketball photography
    • LadySwish – Virginia area bball
    • Mel Greenberg
    • Ref's Forum
    • They're Playing Basketball
    • WNBAlien
    • Women's Hoops Blog: Old Site
    • Women's Hoops World
  • News Resources

    • Around the Rim – LaChina Robinson Podcast
    • Burn It All Down – Podcast
    • Division III Hoops
    • ESPN
    • Euro Basket – Women
    • Excel Sports – Basketball
    • FIBA
    • Hashtag Basketball
    • Her Hoop Stats: consistent, reliable, and easy to access data about women's basketball
    • HERO College Sports News Women's Basketball
    • Hoop Feed
    • Locked on Women's Basketball – Howard Megdal
    • Massey Ratings Women's College Basketball
    • NAIA Division I & II
    • NCAA TV & Streaming Schedule
    • NCAA.com WBBall
    • NJCAA I, II & III
    • Players' Tribute: Basketball
    • RPI College Basketball Rankings
    • Shattered Backboard
    • Slam Online
    • SunCast: The Official Podcast of the Connecticut Sun
    • Swish Appeal
    • Television Listings: Hoopfeed
    • The Jump Around with Blake DuDonis – Podcase
    • Unitentional Journalist – Archive of Helen's WBB articles
    • USA Basketball
    • We're On Live – Podcast at Medium
    • WNBA.com
    • Women Talk Sports
    • Women's Basketball News and Thoughts
    • Women's Basketball Server
    • Women's Basketball State
  • Related Sports Blogs & Sites

    • After Atalanta – gender and sports.
    • Ball & Chain Podcast: Rebecca Lobo and Steve Rushin
    • Deaf International Basketball Federation
    • Division I teams by Conference
    • Female Coaching Network
    • Kay Yow Cancer Fund
    • National Assoc. of Collegiate Women Athletics Admins.
    • National Wheelchair Basketball Assoc
    • National Women's Law Center
    • Pat Griffin's LGBT Sport Blog
    • Pilight's superstat WNBA site
    • Rebkell Message Board – NCAA
    • Rebkell Message Board – WNBA
    • The Sports Economist
    • TITLE IX BLOG
    • Women's Talk Sports
  • Archives

    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    • December 2016
    • November 2016
    • October 2016
    • September 2016
    • August 2016
    • July 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • January 2016
    • December 2015
    • November 2015
    • October 2015
    • September 2015
    • August 2015
    • July 2015
    • June 2015
    • May 2015
    • April 2015
    • March 2015
    • February 2015
    • January 2015
    • December 2014
    • November 2014
    • October 2014
    • September 2014
    • August 2014
    • July 2014
    • June 2014
    • May 2014
    • April 2014
    • March 2014
    • February 2014
    • January 2014
    • December 2013
    • November 2013
    • October 2013
    • September 2013
    • August 2013
    • July 2013
    • June 2013
    • May 2013
    • April 2013
    • March 2013
    • February 2013
    • January 2013
    • December 2012
    • November 2012
    • October 2012
    • September 2012
    • August 2012
    • July 2012
    • June 2012
    • May 2012
    • April 2012
    • March 2012
    • February 2012
    • January 2012
    • December 2011
    • November 2011
    • October 2011
    • September 2011
    • August 2011
    • July 2011
    • June 2011
    • May 2011
    • April 2011
    • March 2011
    • February 2011
    • January 2011
    • December 2010
    • November 2010
    • October 2010
    • September 2010
    • August 2010
    • July 2010
    • June 2010

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

WPThemes.


loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy