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USA Will Face Australia in Early Rounds of 2010 Women’s World Championships
By Lee Michaelson
Publisher
FIBA conducted the draw for the 2010 FIBA World Championship for Women on today in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, host of next year’s World Championship finals. One thing is clear: Women’s basketball fans are unlikely to have to wait for the finals to witness the long-awaited showdown between Australia, who captured the women’s world title in Brazil in 2006, and the United States, wo hope to reclaim it.
Sixteen countries have qualified to compete in the 2010 FIBA World Championship that will be held from September 23 to October 3 in Brno, Karlovy Vary and Ostrava, Czech Republic. The gold medal winner earns an automatic berth to the 2012 Olympic Games. The 16 teams were divided into four preliminary-round pools in today’s draw.
Team USA has been placed in Group B, where they will face France, Greece and Senegal in the first round of games. Australia wound up in the opposite bracket, Group A, which also includes Belarus, Canada and China; Group C consists of Brazil, Mali, South Korea and Spain; and Group D is comprised of Argentina, Czech Republic, Japan and Russia.
The preliminary round will be played in two cities from September 23 through September 25, utilizing a round-robin format within each preliminary round group. The top three finishing teams from each group will advance to second-round play with the top teams in Groups A and B merging into Group E and the top teams in Groups C and D forming Group F. The 12 teams who make it into the second round, which will be played from September 27 through 29, will feature six teams in each group. Each team will play the three new teams in its second-round group.
That means that unless the U.S. finishes last in its pool, and/or Australia does the same in Group A, the two international women’s powerhouses are headed for a showdown in the second round of competition.
Sparks Lose Harrower for Three Games
By Lee Michaelson
Publisher
The Los Angeles Sparks announced today that starting point guard Kristi Harrower will miss the next three games due to the death of her grandmother. Harrower will return to Australia tonight to attend her grandmother’s funeral and will rejoin the team on September 3.
Harrower, who owns three Olympic silver medals and a gold from the 2006 Women’s World Championships in Brazil, as a member of the Opals, Australia’s Senior Women’s National Team, has averaged 18.4 minutes per game for the Sparks this season. Though not a high-number offensive producer, Harrower is the consummate “Steady Eddie,” a floor general who calmly distributes the ball to her teammates and scrambles after every loose ball.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to Kristi and her family,” said Sparks Vice President and General Manager Penny Toler. “We want her to take the time she needs and know that we are thinking of her and supporting her during this tough time.”
The Sparks play the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday, August 27th, the Connecticut Sun on Sunday, August 30th and the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday, September 1st.
WNBA Eastern Conference Recap: Indiana Clinches; Things Heat Up in the Rest of the Playoff Picture
By Jim Clark
Correspondent
Despite dropping both their games last week, the Indiana Fever became the second team in the league (after Phoenix) to clinch their playoffs as Connecticut, Washington, and Chicago all posted losses.
Indiana still has a decisive lead in the race for first place in the East with a four-and-a-half game lead over Atlanta, its next closest contender. But the Fever’s grip on the top spot is beginning to loosen as losses pile up with key players showing evidence of fatigue as the regular season draws to a close.
Meanwhile, the race for the remaining Eastern Conference playoff berths is wide open as only two-and-a-half games separate second-place contender Atlanta from the two teams tied for fourth place (Washington and Chicago).
Even the basement is beginning to heat up, as Detroit has gone on a recent three-game winning streak and the Liberty have begun to show signs of life. So while Indiana is definitely in, it’s hard to rule anyone—even New York—completely out of the picture.
- U.S. Wins U16 Gold with 103-52 Win Over Canada; Argentina Takes Bronze over Brazil
- Tours de Force by U.S. Teens Suggests a Dominant Future for U.S. in International Women’s Basketball
- U.S. Takes Third Straight U19 Gold in FIBA World Championships
- Day of Upsets at U19 World Championships Sees Russia, Australia Eliminated; US, Spain Move to Semis
