Joe
The knockout stage of the 2024 Paris Olympics women’s basketball tournament is here, with eight teams vying for a spot in the semifinals.
Among them, the United States stands out, having gone undefeated in the group stage. They face Nigeria in the quarterfinals. The other teams competing are Serbia, Australia, Spain, Belgium, Germany, and France.
Nigeria’s Ezinne Kalu and Promise Amukamara aim to upset the Americans, still reeling from their 2018 FIBA Women’s World Cup elimination. D’Tigress Head Coach Rena Wakama expressed excitement about meeting the World Champion USA in the quarterfinals.
Speaking from Paris, Wakama said, “We are really excited because we want to play the best of the best. We believe that everything happened for a reason. We met them already in Belgium but did not play our best, so we are looking forward to meeting them again and playing better.”
Reflecting on their previous encounter, Wakama added, “The first game was an eye-opener. We analyzed our performance and believe the experience will help us. We’ve played several games since and have a great addition to the team in Ezinne, bringing another level of intensity and experience. This team is different from the one the USA faced in Belgium, and we are confident going into the game.”
In the 2018 FIBA Women’s World Cup, the USA overcame a tough start to defeat Nigeria 71-40 and advanced to the semifinals. A’Ja Wilson and Brittney Grinner were part of the USA squad then and remain crucial players for the team as they face Nigeria once again.
