3 key questions as Team USA and Australia face off in the Olympic semifinals

The U.S. women’s basketball team will face Australia at 11:30 a.m. ET today for a spot in the gold medal game. Australia, which won the bronze medal at the 2022 World Cup, was considered one of the toughest teams heading into the Paris Olympics.

But Australia stumbled early in their Olympic campaign, losing to Nigeria, and while they have played much better since then, the question remains: does this Australian team have what it takes to overtake one of the most dominant Olympic programs in all of sports?

Coming into the game against Australia, USA Basketball will be looking for its 60th consecutive Olympic victory (and its eighth consecutive gold medal this weekend), and while the team will undoubtedly continue to lean heavily on frontcourt anchors A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart, it will also benefit from contributions from players like Jackie Young, Sabrina Ionescu, Brittney Griner and Alyssa Thomas, each of whom have played key roles in key moments during these Olympics.

It’s natural to expect a landslide victory for the U.S. — after all, every U.S. game so far has been a big win — but no other team in the tournament can boast as many wins as the U.S. WNBA There’s no one like Australia, so if someone is in fighting form, Done It will be an opal.

A few questions will help gauge Australia’s chances of winning.

1. Could Sandy Brondello make Breanna Stewart’s life even harder?

Today, the U.S. women’s basketball team will face Australia in the Olympic semifinals in what will be a reunion of sorts, as Australian coach Sandy Brondello will face off against two of Liberty’s stars, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu.

Brondello will return to New York next week with Stewart and Ionescu, and the trio will work closely together in pursuit of a championship this fall, but in this matchup Brondello will no doubt be doing all he can to limit Stewart’s damage.

For now, no one has an answer for the two-time MVP’s two-way impact. Stewart is the second-leading scorer in the U.S., averaging 18.5 points and shooting 63.8 percent from the field. She and Wilson make up a frontcourt that no one on the Olympic team has managed to pull off. Brondello knows Stewart’s game better than anyone else. Given how good Stewart is, it may not make a difference. But she’ll definitely try.

2. Can Team USA stop Sami Whitcomb?

Sami Whitcomb has been Australia’s leading scorer in four Olympic games, averaging 14.8 points and shooting 50% from the field. Whitcomb is not a mainstay in Seattle, averaging 5.4 points and 15.8 minutes per game, but she has been the focal point of the offense for Australia. Containing the 36-year-old Whitcomb will be key. She has been one of the top facilitators in the Olympics, averaging six assists per game.

Jackie Young will likely be tasked with keeping up with Whitcomb, but several other guards, including Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum, are also likely to challenge for the matchup.

Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

3. What type of Australian team will the US team face?

Going into the Olympics, Australia were considered one of the best teams competing, but lost their opening pool match to Nigeria and barely managed a win against Canada.

But for U.S. team coach Cheryl Reeve, those initial obstacles may ultimately work to Australia’s advantage.

“The girls had a tough time in the pool, but I think they learned a lot about themselves,” she told Olympics.com. “The most valuable learnings will come from a coaching standpoint, rotations and things like that. The girls are in good form and it will be a very difficult match for us.”