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Changing on the fly U.S. women see three styles in three nights
SYDNEY, Australia -- For the U.S. women's basketball team, the first three games of preliminary-round play constitute a sort of theme park. Game 1 against South Korea was the visit to the hypnotist's booth, with the opponents' patient, patterned style keeping the Americans from winning by more than 89-75. Cuba, Monday's opponent, was all straight-ahead thrills, with the islanders' athleticism staking them to a 20-16 lead -- the same advantage the Chinese men held over the U.S. at one point in Sunday night's romp -- before the Americans broke clear for a 90-61 victory.
Wednesday promises to be a roller coaster. Russia can post you up or beat you from outside. But the Russians' ability to feed their big people and whip the ball around the perimeter suffered a daunting blow on Saturday. In a scramble for a loose ball, point guard Irina Soumnikova took an elbow to the face from Cuba's Maria Leon. Soumnikova fractured her wrist trying to break her fall, and on Wednesday she spent two hours in a Sydney hospital undergoing plastic surgery. Soumnikova, 35, was playing in her fourth Olympics, and it was a terrible way for them to end. The U.S. players were aware of this development but determined not to dwell on Russia's loss. "It definitely feels like the Olympics," said Teresa Edwards, the team's veteran. "You don't know what the next team is gonna bring." Even so, the Americans have been able to adjust their game accordingly.
Tip-insThere's a flip side to gender equity: The U.S. team, booked into the same Parramatta hotel as the men, aren't so sure that's where they'd like to be; Lisa Leslie, for one, wishes she were in the Olympic Village in Homebush Bay, interacting with Olympians in other sports and from other countries. ... Forward Natalie Williams was the last player cut from the 1996 Olympic volleyball team, and she hopes to catch some of the action here. But the women's volleyball competition takes place on the same days as women's basketball games. ... On Monday U.S. assistant coach Geno Auriemma, who's on summer vacation from his duties at UConn, tried teasing a few scouting insights out of one of the Russian players, Svetlana Abrosimova, who plays for the Huskies. As she occasionally does in Storrs, Svet left Geno frustrated. Sports Illustrated senior writer Alexander Wolff is in Sydney covering the Games for the magazine and CNNSI.com. Check back daily to read Wolff's behind-the-scenes reports from Down Under.
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