Germany Falls to France Despite Liberty Stars' Return

The returns of New York Liberty contributors Leonie Fiebich and Nyara Sabally weren't enough to push Germany into the Olympic semifinals.

Aug 1, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; France shooting guard Marine Johannes (23) passes against Nigeria centre Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah (3) in the first half in a women’s group stage game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

International New York Liberty stars did battle in the quarterfinal round of the Paris Olympics' women's basketball competition on Wednesday.

Marine Johannes' emergence off the bench signaled a takeover in action for host nation France, which took down Germany by an 84-71 final in front of a supportive home crowd at Bercy Arena. Johannes, having taken this WNBA season off to focus on international play like the Olympic effort, had 24 points to lead the way for all scorers and send Liberty depth stars Leonie Fiebich and Nyara Sabally back stateside.

Thus ends Germany's maiden Olympic voyage, one that saw them win their first two games in group play before falling to the United States on Sunday.

Liberty fans are perhaps all too pleased to see the Germans say auf wiedersehen to Paris: while the tournament proved to be a solid showcase for Fiebich and Sabally, as both endured medical misfortune in group play.

Sabally, back on the floor after missing the last two preliminary games with an upper-body injury, proved to be Germany's brightest hope, as she put up a 20-point, 13-rebound double-double. The second-year New Yorker was aggressive in the paint and showed little hesitance to get involved in physical play after getting her land legs back She ended the quarterfinal with 15 visits to the foul line, hitting all but one of her attempts there.

Fiebich, on the other hand, played just over 38 minutes after leaving the aforementioned loss to Team USA early with shoulder woes. While lacking the spark she had in both group play and the WNBA regular season, Fiebich managed to score nine points on 3-of-7 shooting while earning three assists and rebounds each.

Johannes entered the game with four minutes remaining in a narrow opening period and scored nine quick points, the final three coming on a three-pointer that gave France a permanent lead. Every Johannes possession from there on out caused tremors in the Parisian crowd and Johannes did little to silence them.

When the Germans hinted that the game wasn't over, getting a French lead that summitted at 19 down to 11 by the penultimate minute of the third, Johannes invaded the paint for a rare double, igniting a 15-7 run that re-established the large lead.

A stifling French defensive effort, one that allowed only nine three-point attempts over the first three attempts, cemented the advantage and punched a semifinal ticket. France forced 20 turnovers on Wednesday, converting the German losses into 27 points.

The German struggles were defined by Sabally's sister Satou (Dallas), the headliner forced into a 2-of-10 shooting night while losing seven turnovers. She was far from the only one having issues, as the Germans had to rely mostly on free throws to keep the score at least somewhat respectable (hitting 29 singles as compared to 19 from the field).

France moves onto its fourth consecutive Olympic semifinal, having earned a bronze at the Tokyo Games three years prior. Les Bleus will face Belgium, which prevailed over Spain in an earlier Wednesday match, on Friday at a time to be determined.

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