After a flawless preparation, the basketball players have to admit defeat for the first time shortly before the Olympics. In Lille, they will take revenge against the world champions.
As expected, the German basketball team suffered a clear defeat against world champions USA in the Olympic dress rehearsal. The team of national coach Lisa Thomaidis lost in London in the comeback of Satou Sabally by a clear 57:84 (32:44), despite a decent performance over three quarters.
The German women had previously won all six test matches before their upcoming Olympic debut. The test against Great Britain on Sunday was abandoned after three quarters due to a medical emergency in the stands.
The US team led by Diana Taurasi, who is aiming for her sixth Olympic gold medal in Paris, is considered the clear favorite for the upcoming tournament. The US women have won every gold medal at the Summer Games since 1996. Their last Olympic defeat was in 1992 in Barcelona.
Reaching the quarter-finals would be an “absolute surprise”
Sabally, who plays for the Dallas Wings in the North American professional league WNBA, was out for months after a shoulder operation and recently had to sit out due to illness. Her comeback was suboptimal: The 26-year-old scored eight points, but only made three of her 17 shots. The best German shooter was Luisa Geiselsöder (15 points). A’ja Wilson (19 points, 14 rebounds) stood out for the USA.
In the Olympic preliminary round in Lille, Thomaidis’ team will face European champions Belgium, Japan and again the USA. The return match in London will take place on August 4. “The quarter-finals would already be a great success. Getting to Paris would be an absolute surprise, to be completely honest,” said Vice President Armin Andres about the basketball players’ starting position. He said of the group: “It really couldn’t get any worse.”
Source: Stern
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