The women's basketball tournament takes center stage on July 29, with four games of pool play highlighted by Team USA's opener against Japan — a rematch of the gold-medal game from Tokyo. Follow along here for a breakdown of all the action as it happens.
Women's Group B: France 75, Canada 54
If you're looking for the team with the best shot to finally snap the U.S. women's 55-game Olympic unbeaten streak, France might be your huckleberry. At least it certainly seemed that way in Les Bleus first game of group play, a 75-54 throttling of a Canadian team that finished fourth at the most recent FIBA World Cup in 2022. This game was nip-and-tuck through the first quarter, at which point France decided to find another gear entirely: Canada was outscored 23-2 in the second quarter, rendering the rest of the game academic.
French wing and former UConn star Gabby Williams has a strong claim to the title of best player in the tournament who doesn't play for the U.S., and she had her fingerprints all over this one, dishing out a team-high seven assists to go with 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting. But the French are far more than a one-woman show: Marianne Johannes is a master orchestrator, and Leila Lacan showed why she was a top-10 pick in the WNBA Draft this year. France and the U.S. won't meet in group play, but if they match up in the knockout rounds, look out.
Women's Group B: Nigeria 73, Australia 62
Our first game of the day gives us our first upset, as Nigeria held off a late rally to topple Australia and earn its first Olympic win in 20 years.
D'Tigress showed no fear from the opening tip, picking up ball-handlers full-court and seeming to catch the Aussies off-guard with their length and intensity on defense. Nigeria held the Opals to just 28 points in the first half, including 11 in the second quarter, while Ezinne Kalu's 17 points and four 3s helped build a shocking 41-28 lead at the break.
As you'd expect from the team that took bronze at the 2022 FIBA World Cup, Australia had a response. Alana Smith (15 points on 6-of-9 shooting) caught fire in the second half, and as Nigeria finally cooled off from deep, the Opals cut the lead to one possession at multiple points in the fourth quarter.
But Nigeria never stopped coming, and again, defense was the catalyst. D'Tigress shot just 35% from the field on the day, but a whopping 26 turnovers forced helped produce a 68-55 shot advantage. Australia scored just six points over the final six minutes of the fourth, while Amy Okonkwo hit multiple dagger 3s, including one to stretch the lead back to seven and essentially salt things away.
A group that includes Canada and host nation France still presents plenty of challenges, but this upset suddenly puts Nigeria in a great spot to reach the knockout round for the first time ever. Next up is a date with France on Thursday, Aug. 1, while Australia faces off against Canada hoping to get things back on track and avoid an early exit.
Women's Group C: Germany 83, Belgium 69
Coming off the country's first-ever EuroBasket gold medal last year and boasting one of the best players in the world in Emma Meesseman, many had Belgium pegged as a dark horse in Paris. Medal contention seemed a long way away in its opening game of group play, however, as Germany got out to a 25-11 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back.
Germany's lead ballooned to as much as 21 behind 16 points from Nyara Sabally. Belgium made multiple runs in the second half to cut it to 10, but it simply couldn't get enough stops on the other end to get any closer. Germany shot 53% from the field and 50% from deep, getting easy shots at will and spoiling a terrific effort from Meesseman (25 points on 10-of-15 shooting, five assists).
Things won't get any easier for Belgium, as next up is a date with the U.S. on Wednesday, Aug. 1. Germany will meet Japan with a chance to solidify its place in the knockout round.