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    Olympics Preview: Team USA Women’s Basketball vs. Belgium

    Today’s Olympic basketball tilt could be Team USA’s toughest yet, as the US faces a Belgian side they barely defeated less than six months ago.

    Compared to Team USA’s Olympic dynasty, Paris is just the second Summer Games for seventh-place Tokyo finisher Belgium, with today marking their first time facing the eighth-straight gold medal-hunting USA on an Olympic court.

    Belgium nearly defeated Team USA back in February. (Isosport/MB Media/Getty Images)

    Team USA hopes to rewrite Olympic qualifier rematch

    At February’s Olympic qualifiers, the US eked out a nail-biting 81-79 win over Belgium, needing a clutch Breanna Stewart buzzer beater to get the job done. The 2023 EuroBasket champions held the US to their tightest scoreline in years, draining 12 threes while Team USA went 4-for-19 — the same statline they posted against Japan on Monday.

    Both teams were missing key players in that qualifying game, with stars A’ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray not available for the US and Belgium’s 6-foot-4 center Kyara Linskens out for the Cats.

    Team USA foward Napheesa Collier in the Olympic basketball game against Japan
    Team USA’s Napheesa Collier calls today’s Belgium matchup “a battle.” (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

    Full rosters favor a USA victory

    Even with both teams at full strength, Team USA is still the heavy favorite.

    To hand the US their first Olympic loss since 1992, Belgium will have to lean on their WNBA vets: current Mystics guard Julie Vanloo and 2019 WNBA Finals MVP center Emma Meesseman. The pair led the Cats with a combined 43 points in Belgium’s opening loss to Germany, a team the US humbled in their final pre-Olympic tune-up.

    “It’s going to be a great game,” Team USA’s Napheesa Collier said of Belgium. “They’re a really good team. So I think it’s going to be a battle.”

    Where to watch USA Women’s Basketball vs. Belgium

    Team USA meets Belgium this afternoon at 3 PM ET, with live coverage across NBC networks.

    Australia women's 3x3 shoots over Team USA 3x3's heads in US Basketball's third-straight loss of the Paris Olympics
    Team USA’s defending 3×3 gold medalists have yet to win a game this Olympics. (DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images)

    Team USA’s 3×3 gold medal repeat dreams dim

    Unlike their 5×5 counterparts, it’s been a very different tournament for Team USA’s defending gold medalist 3×3 squad. Beleaguered by injury, they have yet to secure a single win, falling 17-13 to Germany on Tuesday, 20-17 to Azerbaijan on Wednesday, and 17-15 to Australia this morning.

    The struggling US will now take on Spain, hoping to finally find their footing against the first-place Spanish side.

    Where to watch USA Women’s Basketball 3×3 vs. Spain

    Team USA 3×3 plays Spain this afternoon at 3:30 PM ET, with live coverage across NBC networks.

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