After going home empty handed in Rio and Tokyo, Australia returned to the podium in the Olympic Games Paris 2024 women’s basketball.
Ezi Magbegor towed Australia back to the podium, pipping Belgium, 85-81, to clinch the bronze in the Olympic Games Paris 2024 women’s basketball on Sunday, August 11 (PH Time).
Magbegor dropped a 30-point bomb, none bigger than the free throws that put the Opals in front, 81-75, with a minute and 17 seconds left to play.
The former Seattle Storm forward in the WNBA shot an impressive 12-for-17 from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
She also grabbed 13 rebounds, dished out three assists, swatted three denials and got two steals in a sterling game that awarded Australia its first Olympic medal since London in 2012 where it also took the bronze.
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It was the Aussie's sixth medal in the Games.
While Magbegor was stellar throughout, it was Tess Magden who completely shut the door on the Cats with four straight free throws in the homestretch.
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Sami Whitcomb turned in 14 points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals, Alanna Smith submitted a double-double with 13 points and 12 boards, while Magden finished with 10.
Though she didn’t see action, Opals icon Lauren Jackson reached another milestone with five Olympic medals. At the start of the Games in the French capital, she also became the oldest basketball player to play in the Olympics at 43 years old.
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Meanwhile, Julia Vanloo paced the Cats with 26 points on four three-pointers to go with 11 assists while Emma Meesseman had another impressive all-around game with 23 points, five rebounds two assists, and two blocks.
Meesseman seemed gassed towards the end, though, and did little to help her team turn the match around.
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In her stead, Antonia Delaere stepped up and shot a right corner triple to make up for her blunder in the previous possession to close in, 81-78.
She had another shot to tie things up, but Steph Talbot swatted her three-point attempt with 24.6 seconds to go.
Delaere finished with 15 points.