Opals Gear Up for Quarter-Finals Against Serbia at Paris 2024

The Opals are set to battle it out against Serbia in the quarter-finals of the women’s basketball tournament at the Bercy Arena this Wednesday.

This matchup is particularly exciting as it revives memories of their nail-biting encounter from eight years ago when the Opals faced a heartbreaking loss against Serbia with a score of 73-71 at Rio 2016.

Australia, currently ranked third in the world, had a bit of a rocky start in this tournament, falling to Nigeria with a score of 75-62 in their group-stage opener.

However, the five-time Olympic medallists picked themselves up and secured victories against Canada (70-65) and the bronze medallists from Tokyo 2020, France (79-72). This allowed them to finish second in their group, ultimately earning their place in the quarter-finals.

Sami Whitcomb has shone the brightest for the Opals, racking up an impressive 44 points and averaging nearly 15 points per game during the group stages. Meanwhile, players Ezi Magbegor, Alanna Smith, and Tess Madgen have also shown great form.

On the other side, Serbia, ranked 10th globally, navigated their way through Group A, which included teams like Puerto Rico, China, and Spain.

Serbia kicked off their campaign with a tight win against Puerto Rico (58-55), followed by a dominant victory over world number two, China (81-59). They concluded the group stage with a loss against Spain (70-62), ending up in second place.

Historically, Australia and Serbia have squared off four times, with both teams claiming two victories each. The Opals have currently won the last two meetings, including their most recent one at the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Brazil earlier this year, where they won narrowly with a score of 75-73.

At the 2022 FIBA Basketball World Cup, the Opals won 69-54 against Serbia after a previous loss of 78-71 in their qualifying campaign.

The only time these two teams clashed at the Olympics was during Rio 2016, where Serbia triumphed over Australia to eventually secure the bronze medal.

Fans in Australia can catch the live stream of the Australia versus Serbia quarter-finals on 9Now and Stan, while the game will also be broadcast live on Network Nine television channels.