Liberty Coach, Former Guard Guide Australia to Victory

New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello and the Australian women’s national basketball team got by with some help from an old friend on Thursday morning.

Former New Yorker Sami Whitcomb (Seattle) broke loose for an Olympic double-double as the Opals took a must-win decision from Canada by a 70-65 final in the middle stage of Group B play in the Paris Games’ women’s basketball proceedings. Whitcomb earned 19 points and 10 assists to lead the team while her six rebounds were second to only the eight earned by Stephanie Talbot (Los Angeles).

Australia (1-1) is thus on the Group B board after sustaining an upset loss to Nigeria in the opening stanza on Monday.

With all her contributions to the box score (points, assists, possessions created with rebounds and steals), Whitcomb had a direct role in each of the Opals’ first 11 points and 46 of 70 overall. The 36-year-old played two seasons in Brooklyn including the 2022 campaign under Brondello’s watch before moving back to Seattle.

Forced away from the perimeter and afforded only eight free throw attempts, Australia used effective ball movement to carve out a gem: all but five of the Opals’ 29 successful field goals featured assists and they owned a 42-31 advantage on the glass. Whitcomb and Cayla George were responsible for five of the six succesful three-pointers. George’s buzzer-beater near the end the first half came from the arms of Whitcomb and allowed Australia to go into the locker room with a six-point lead.

George was one of two reserve Opals to reach double-figures, as she and Marianna Tolo had 11 each.

Despite the game’ narrow nature, Canada (0-2) could never get the lead back after the Opals’ late surge toward the end of the first 20. A 9-0 run at the end of the third period and going into the fourth, combined with sterling defense from Brondello’s group, more-or-less put the game out of reach. With that rally, the Aussies earned the first double-figure lead on either side and the momentum shift was punctuated by Whitcomb turning a steal into two successful free throws.

Some late scoreboard beautification should help its case in the battle for third-place bids but Canada will need a win over Nigeria and some assistance if it’s looking to keep its bid for an Olympic medal alive. Bridget Carleton (Minnesota) led the True North with 19 points, most of it coming on a 5-of-7 output from three-point range.

Australia will close out Group B play on Sunday when it faces host nation France (3 p.m ET, Peacock).

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