Liberty Coach, Australia Take Next Step in Olympic Redemption

The Australia women's basketball group led by New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello is moving onto the Paris Olympics' knockout round.

Sep 29, 2023; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello watches from the sideline as they take on the Connecticut Sun during game three of the 2023 WNBA Playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello and the Australian women's national basketball team are extending their Olympic holiday.

Captain Tess Magden led the way in scoring off the bench as the Australian Opals closed group play at the Paris Olympics on a high note, earning advancement with a 79-72 victory over host nation France on Sunday in Lille. Magden, a WNBL star, led the way with 18 points off the bench as the Opals (2-1) secured advancement to the Parisian knockout round that tips off later this week.

Sunday's win continues Australia's search for redemption: the well-respected Opals program had been ousted in group play during the Tokyo Games three years prior and also dropped their group play opener to Nigeria. Wins over France and eliminated Canada keep Brondello's goal of a podium/medal finish alive, as the Opals are seeking their first form of Olympic hardware since a bronze in 2012.

Australia denied the French an undefeated run in group play, creating a three-way tie with Nigeria atop Group B. The Opals' victory over the French created a vital tiebreaker victory: in a three-way tie, point differential in head-to-head meetings comes into play. Australia beat out Nigeria by two points at minus-6, as the Nigerians had previously dropped a 21-point game to the French.

Brondello's victory also helped out her metropolitan proteges Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart: their American group clinched the top seed in the knockout with the win, leaving Team USA and Spain as the lone perfect from the events in Lille. Another New Yorker wasn't so fortunate, as Australia's win eliminated Han Xu and the Chinese national group from medal contention.

Former New Yorker Sami Whitcomb (Seattle) came up big for the Opals once again, dealing a game-best seven assists to accompany her dozen points. The last of her latter tally was a jumper in the final minute that established the necessary seven-point lead to secure the crucial tiebreaker. Pacific Northwest teammate Ezi Magbegor (Seattle) led the starters with 14 points while Alanna Smith (Minnesota) matched Whitcomb's dozen on 6-of-8 from the field.

Australia limited France to 8-of-27 from three-point range, negating any attempt to catch the Americans' point differential tally for the top seed. Another New York fan favorite, Marine Johannes, had nine points despite shooting 1-of-7 with an extra point on the line, while Gabby Williams once again led the team with 15.

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