2024 Olympics: Team USA begins journey to eighth-straight gold

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The women’s 5×5 basketball competition will be in full swing when Group C play begins on Monday, July 29. Germany meets Belgium at 7:30 a.m. ET (Peacock), while Team USA takes on Japan at 2:45 p.m. ET (USA Network).

Can Saballys, Germany slow Meesseman, Belgium?

2024 USA Basketball Showcase - USA v Germany — Satou and Nyara Sabally warm up before Germany’s exhibition game against Team USA.

While the absence of Julie Allemand weakens a Belgium squad hopeful for its first women’s basketball medal, the Cats enter their first game of the 2024 Olympics with several distinct advantages. Lille, the host city for the group play games, is located near the France-Belgium border, so Belgium may enjoy the support of fans who cross the border to see captain Emma Meesseman and company. And although this is only the second Olympic appearance for Belgium, it is Germany’s Olympic debut, suggesting Belgium will be better prepared to manage the emotions that come with playing on the Olympic stage for the first time.

Even without Allemand, Belgium has on-court advantages as well. The 2019 WNBA Finals MVP with the Washington Mystics, Meesseman is an experienced international star, mostly recently shining for back-to-back EuroLeague Women champion Fenerbahçe. She led the women’s basketball competition at the 2020 Games in scoring, averaging 27.3 points per game across Belgium’s four contests. She remains the fulcrum of a cohesive, connected Belgian side that also will benefit from the fearless shooting and playmaking of Julie Vanloo, the 31-year-old rookie point guard for the Mystics.

Germany, however, might claim the most talented player in this matchup: Satou Sabally. Yet, the 2023 WNBA Most Improved Player of the Dallas Wings, who also played for Fenerbahçe with Meesseman during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 EuroLeague Women seasons, recently returned from a long-term shoulder injury and looked far from her top form in Germany’s exhibition loss to Team USA last week. Similarly, her sister Nyara, who plays for the New York Liberty, has missed time with injury throughout the 2024 WNBA season. With the Sabally sisters unlikely to be at their best, it’s hard to see Germany overcoming Belgium’s experience.

Team USA, Japan meet in gold medal rematch

United States v Japan Women’s Basketball - Olympics: Day 16 — Chesea Gray is guarded by Rui Machida during the gold medal game at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Team USA begins their journey to an eighth-straight gold medal with a rematch of the gold medal game at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, meeting silver-medalist Japan. Three years ago, the Americans claimed a 15-point victory, 90-75, behind 30 points from Brittney Griner. The Phoenix Mercury center remains 6-foot-9, while Japan remains without a player taller than 6-foot-1. Pressing the “BG” button again could lead Team USA to another comfortable victory. However, Griner did not see the court in the Americans’ lone international exhibition game, indicating that she may assume a reduced role on this team, at least until Team USA meets an opponent with more significant size.

Of course, Team USA has a number of other players who can overwhelm the undersized Japanese, highlighted by the two-time WNBA MVP tandem of A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. Not only are they unstoppable on the offensive end, but the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty stars combine to anchor an American defense that, when fully alert, should stifle Japan. In the Tokyo final, Wilson had 19 points, seven boards and five blocks, with Stewart finishing with 14 points, 14 boards, four steals and three blocks.

The underdogs, however, are not without some possible advantages. Pierre Mauroy Stadium is a soccer stadium that has been converted into a basketball venue for the Olympics. That means odd, unfamiliar sight lines that could trouble Team USA’s suite of sharp shooters. Japan will lean into the variance of the long ball, firing away triples without fear. If Team USA is missing and Japan is swishing, things could get interesting. That did not happen in the 2020 gold medal game, when Japan shot just 8-for-31 (25. 8 percent) from behind the arc.