If either team gets hot from three-point distance, it could turn the tide. Their only common opponent so far has been Ukraine, but the United States played them early and rolled to a 98-65 win. But the Ukrainians were playing much better by the end of the Olympics, so maybe it wasn't the opposition that determined the difference in those numbers but rather the Ukrainians themselves. Both teams have plenty of motivation, but eight players and U.S. Coach Tara VanDerveer rode home on the same bus with the Brazilians after Brazil had beaten the United States 110-107 the semifinals of the 1994 world championships. If the Brazilians win again, the bitterness will bite deeply in the Georgia Dome, but if the Americans win, there will be 30,000 fans there to share in the glory.
Brazil wants to steal the gold.
The Americans want to make it 60 straight. You couldn't ask for a better script and the stage is clearly set for one of the most dramatic women's basketball games ever played. Let's just hope NBC lets us see it.