Liberty Coach, Australia Move Onto Olympic Semifinals

New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello pushed the Land Down Under one step closer toward the top at the Paris Olympics.

Brondello’s Australian national group opened women’s basketball quarterfinal play in Paris on a high note on Wednesday, as they dismantled Serbia by an 85-67 final in the latest level of their ongoing redemption tour.

A double-double for Alanna Smith (Minnesota) led the way, as her 22 points and 13 rebounds paced all participants. Jade Melbourne (Washington) had 18 on 6-of-9 shooting, her total matched by Cayla George off the bench. Another double-figure game awaited former New Yorker Sami Whitcomb (Seattle), as she had 15 and three steals over 33 minutes, during which Australia held a plus-23 advantage on the scoreboard (second-best on the team behind Smith’s plus-24).

Since failing to get out of pool play in Tokyo three years ago and dropping their 2024 opener to Nigeria, the Opals have won four in a row at the Paris Games and are guaranteed a chance to at least play for a medal, which would be their first since a bronze in London in 2012.

The stage was set for an Aussie blowout after the debut period: a Serbian opportunity opened when Steph Talbot (Los Angeles) picked up two early fouls but George contributed seven points of a 13-4 run toward the end of the frame that more or less shifted momentum for good. An athletic showcase from Melbourne, who replaced fellow starter Talbot when he picked up her early charges, kept the momentum alive and built a 16-point advantage by the intermission.

Serbia scored the first five in the third period, but the shrink to 11 was as close as they would get for the remainder of the game. Australia scored the next 17 to put the game out of reach and punch their ticket to the semifinals staged for Friday. The backbreaker was capped off by a Whitcomb triple, as she and George sank three each throughout Wednesday’s game.

The Serbians were searching for their third consecutive Olympic semifinal appearance, having earned a bronze in Rio in 2016. Partly hampered by an apparent injury for Yvonne Anderson (who appeared to be fighting midsection issues), the Serbians were paced by Jovana Nogic’s 17 tallies.

Brondello and Co. now awaits the winner of Wednesday’s quarterfinal finale between Nigeria and the United States (3:30 p.m. ET, USA). An American victory would pit Brondello against her Brooklyn proteges Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart.

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