With the 18th and final group-stage game of the women's basketball tournament now in the books, that can only mean one thing: It's knockout time. 12 teams began the Paris Olympics, but only eight have moved on to the knockout stage, and the newly released bracket is chock full of compelling matchups and storylines. Feast your eyes:
As the top two ranked teams, the U.S. and France were guaranteed to be placed on opposite sides of the bracket. Other than that, though, the draw was completely random. Let's go game by game and break it all down.
Olympic women's basketball bracket revealed: Matchups, takeaways, start times
Serbia-Australia
After toppling France to earn a spot in the knockout round, the Opals now draw Serbia from Group A in a fascinating matchup. These are two ruthlessly efficient offenses, generating tons of quality looks at the rim, and which group of guards plays better will go a long way toward deciding things. Tipoff is set for 5 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Aug. 7.
Spain-Belgium
Spain was a mild surprise atop Group A, riding former Iowa star Megan Gustafson down low (and, admittedly, some wild late-game luck) to a 3-0 record. Don't let Belgium's third-place finish fool you: The reigning EuroBasket champions gave the U.S. a whale of a time in the group stage and boast one of the very best players in the world in former Washington Mystic Emma Meesseman. The post battle in this game will be something to watch. Tipoff is set for 8:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Aug. 7.
Germany-France
If USA-Nigeria isn't the matchup of the quarterfinals, this one is. Stade Pierre-Mauroy should be rocking once again, and Gabby Williams vs. Satou Sabally is an absolutely box-office matchup. Both of these teams started strong before stumbling in their final group games, and both boast huge and athletic frontcourts but can struggle to generate consistent half-court offense at times. Always aesthetically pleasing? Maybe not. Gripping? You bet. Tipoff is set for noon ET on Wednesday, Aug. 7.
U.S.-Nigeria
Nigeria has defied the odds just getting here, the first African team (men's or women's) ever to do so. Can it shock the world one more time and end Team USA's 58-game Olympic winning streak? D'Tigress play fast and free, leading this tournament in steals thanks to an aggressive all-court defense while guards Ezinne Kalu and Amy Okonkwo lead the attack on the other end. The U.S. is a deeper team, but we just saw Nigeria hang with France for 40 minutes in group play. Sleep on them, and they're exactly the kind of team that can make you pay, especially considering how susceptible the Americans have been to getting sped up at times in Paris. Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Aug. 7.