But they backed it up with results. Facing a hostile home crowd in the final and an Australian team that was undefeated, the U.S. women needed to play the game of their lives. They did more, thoroughly outclassing their opponents by 22 points. The style of play, we're very exciting below the rim. It's well thought out, it's played very hard and intense, and you could miss some things if you did turn your head.
Women play very smart.
We have to. If spectators at the tournament saw the sport's present while recalling its past, they may also have had a glimpse of its future in Chinese men Yao Ming and Wang Zhizhi and Australian teenage sensation Lauren Jackson. Both are richly talented and, with the NBA desperate to penetrate the huge Chinese market, it cannot be long before one of them becomes the first Chinese to wear an NBA shirt. She's got all the tools, inside and out. Defensively, I think she's a very good defensive player, a good shotblocker.