OLYM - A bronze medal to celebrate end of an era

LONDON (Olympics) – The USA aside, Australia and Russia arguably boast the best pedigrees of any country worldwide when it comes to women’s basketball. They also both finished on the podium in Beijing and Athens, with the Australians winning silver on both occasions and the Russians similarly winning bronze.

The Russians have never beaten Australia at the Olympics but they will need to do so to secure their third straight podium place.

They have, in some respects, struggled so far. The absence of the experienced centre Maria Stepanova has certainly not helped the Russians and could prove decisive as they come up against arguably the best frontcourt in the tournament, with Liz Cambage, Suzy Batkovic and Lauren Jackson.

This was certainly the case when the two side met in Group B only one week ago. That game that saw Cambage’s historical dunk.

If Russia have missed Stepanova, so Australia have missed their ultra-talented forward Penny Taylor, who got injured on virtually the same day.

Following the USA’s tough Semi-Final with over the Opals, the American coach Geno Auriemma cited Taylor’s absence as being very significant. He went so far as to suggest that with her, Australia may even been able to snatch the win.

However, while admitting that Taylor is a big loss to them, Graf has refused to bemoan her injury.

Sunday’s game will most likely also see the last Olympic Games for two of several international stars. Ilona Korstin, Olga Arteshina, Irina Osipova and Natasha Vodopyanova will all be in their mid-thirties in 2016.

So will Belinda Snell, Suzy Batkovic and Jenny Screen.

Lauren Jackson this week became the all-time highest scorer of women’s Olympic basketball.

“I’m getting old,” she said.

“I don’t know what I’ll be doing in four years’ time”

“We have one game left, so it isn’t quite the end of an era yet.”

Team leaders Jackson (aged 31) and Becky Hammon (aged 35) also look unlikely to make it to Rio in 2016.

“This is a young team,” said Hammon.

“It’s going to get better and better.

“This is a completely different team from the one we had in Beijing.

“I wish I had another chance.”

Both are determined to leave London with bronze.

“We’ve got another game and we still have another opportunity at a medal,” Jackson said.

“We’re going to fight like hell for a medal,” Hammon promised.

FIBA