The women’s 5×5 basketball group stage has concluded, and as teams make the trip to Paris from Lille, a hierarchy of players is being cast.

Like always, many of the tournament’s superstars have had similar fates in the WNBA. Belgium’s Emma Meesseman, the 2019 Finals MVP for the Washington Mystics, leads the tournament in points (26.3 per game) for the second-straight Olympics. Dallas Wings star Satou Sabally is second, and her 33 points in Germany’s win over Japan was the most scored in an Olympic game since 2016. A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart have been expectedly unguardable for Team USA. However, a handful of lesser known players are emerging as stars in their own right, and making their names known on the biggest stage.

Ezinne Kalu (Nigeria)

Quite frankly, Nigeria’s entire roster deserves a nod for their performances thus far. Even the most-researched basketball analysts didn’t expect D’Tigress to make it out of Lille, and yet Nigeria finished group play with a 2-1 record and a positive point differential. They are the first African team—women’s or men’s—to reach the Olympic quarterfinals. They’ll take on Team USA, who hasn’t lost an Olympic game since 1992, on Wednesday.

Fans of Team USA who have yet to watch Nigeria compete will know the name Ezinne Kalu by the time the final whistle sounds. Kalu, who hails from Newark, New Jersey, had a prestigious career at Savannah State University before embarking on her ongoing international basketball journey. D’Tigress run through Kalu. She’s fifth in the tournament in scoring at 19.3 points per game, and all four players above her have been multiple-time WNBA All-Stars. She notched 19 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals in Nigeria’s upset of Australia, one of the most well-rounded performances in the group stage.

Kalu’s best trait may be her ability to get to the free-throw line— something that’s often dismissed as a real skill in basketball discourse. She’s shooting 7.3 free throws per game (second in the tournament), and converting them at an 86.4 percent clip. She loves to play off two feet and jump into the body of bigger defenders, forcing them into a decision: go for the block and risk fouling or allow Kalu to score. If she gets downhill at the same rate against Team USA’s guards, she’ll put the American forwards in uncomfortable positions. Getting A’ja Wilson or Breanna Stewart in foul trouble would make Wednesday’s quarterfinal a lot more competitive.

Alexis Peterson (Germany)

Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images

Group C presented as an uphill battle for Germany, who had never before competed in an Olympic tournament. Between the indomitable Team USA, battle-tested Belgium and streaky Japan, German fans were content enough seeing their team take the court in Lille. After besting Belgium and Japan, Germany will be making the trip to Paris for the quarterfinals.

Satou Sabally is undoubtedly the star of the German side, but Alexis Peterson has proven just as important to their team success. Peterson has played the second-most minutes of anyone in the tournament, trailing only Emma Meesseman of Belgium. She’s averaging 13 points on 40/36/90 splits, adding six assists per game. Peterson has unmatched speed on the floor, and she paces a German offense that often looks lost when she’s on the bench. Sabally demands attention, but Peterson makes teams pay for affording her too much.

Peterson was the 2016 ACC Player of the Year at Syracuse and was selected No. 15 overall by the Seattle Storm in the 2017 WNBA Draft. She hasn’t played in the WNBA since her rookie season, but not for a lack of trying. Peterson was named to three different training camp rosters since 2018, most recently with the Las Vegas Aces before the 2023 season. Being overlooked has clearly fueled the 5-foot-5 point guard. She’s been the most animated personality on the court in France, especially in Germany’s matchup with Team USA. A motivated Alexis Peterson is one of the last things any team wants to see in the knockout stage.

Maki Takada (Japan)

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Albeit a return to reality, Japan’s winless group stage is disappointing in the shadow of their 2020 silver medal campaign. Losses to Germany and Belgium felt preventable for a team that dominated just three years prior. However, team struggles won’t invalidate impressive individual performances.

She’ll leave France empty handed, but Maki Takada made the most out of her third, and likely final, Olympic experience. Takada anchored Japan in scoring at 15.3 points per game, good for ninth in the group stage. She was easily the most efficient high-volume scorer in Lille, shooting 61.3 percent from the floor, 41.7 percent from 3 and 75 percent from the free throw line. On an undersized Japanese team that struggles to defend, Takada’s 6-foot-1 frame allowed her to compete on both ends of the floor.

Takada’s scoring output and efficiency were eerily similar to her production in Tokyo. While these Olympics have brought Japan’s collective ability into question, Takada has done nothing but solidify her own reputation as an offensive powerhouse. Age may unfortunately isolate Takada from WNBA contract offers. She has the skill and the size to compete with the league’s top talent, but extending a valuable roster spot to a 34-year-old with no stateside experience may be a lost cause for most general managers. Nonetheless, Takada could be a candidate for future expansion teams like the Golden State Valkyries, who may look to supplement their expansion roster with overseas talent.

Mai Yamamoto deserves a brief mention as well. The 24-year-old guard recorded 17 points and five assists against Team USA, but sustained a concussion in the game and was unable to compete in the other two group stage contests. Yamamoto, who was a member of Japan’s 3×3 team in the 2020 Olympics, quickly established herself as a top option for her country and will be a name to watch in international basketball going forward.

After playing seven or eight games across five days, the semifinalists in women’s 3×3 basketball—Germany, Spain, the United States and Canada—finally got a chance to breathe, with no games scheduled on Sunday.

The action, however, quickly re-intensifies on Monday, Aug. 5. The first women’s semifinal match between Spain and the United States tips off at 11:30 a.m. ET (USA Network), while Germany and Canada follow in the second women’s semifinal at 12:30 p.m. ET (USA Network). The losers of both games then meet in the bronze medal game at 3 p.m. ET (E! Network). The semifinal winners will go for gold at 4 p.m. ET (NBC).

Can Team USA ride their momentum to a gold medal?

For the Americans, in particular, the day off was a well-earned reprieve. After dropping their first three games, Team USA’s 3×3 gold medal defense was trending toward disappointment, if not disaster. However, the Americans responded to the self-induced adversity, reeling off five straight wins to advance to the semifinals, where they will meet Spain, the team they defeated to begin their winning streak.

The American foursome of Rhyne Howard, Dearica Hamby, Cierra Burdick and Hailey Van Lith appear to be finding their stride at the exact right time. Team USA bested China in their final pool play game, 14-12, which earned them a second-straight matchup against the Chinese in the play-in game. Defeating the same team two times in a row always is a difficult task, yet the Americans did so with authority, securing their most complete victory of the competition with a 21-13 win to advance to the semifinals. Hamby was the engine of the American victory, catching fire from outside and draining all three of her 2-point attempts to lead Team USA with nine points.

To advance to the gold medal match, the Americans must continue to build on their improving cohesion and connection. Although they scored a relatively comfortable 17-11 win over Spain in pool play, the Spanish shot quite poorly, including going 3-for-12 from 2-point range. Spain leads the competition in 2-point shooting rate, taking (75) and making (23) the most, even though, because they finished pool play in second place, they earned a bye to the semifinals and played seven games rather than eight. Their 31 percent conversion rate is average, comparable to Team USA’s 33 percent mark on 2-pointers. Yet, the Americans, across eight games, took the fewest 2-pointers in the competition (46). Hamby’s fearlessness from long range in the play-in win over China is a positive sign; to make 2-pointers, you’ve got to take them. The Americans also need to be more alert on the offensive glass, better applying their athletic advantages to earn second-chance opportunities if they’re misfiring from long range.

Can the Plouffe twins take Canada all the way?

Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images

In the other semifinal, Canada will attempt to avenge their 19-15 pool play loss to Germany, when the Germans benefitted from efficient offensive efforts from Sonja Greinacher and Elisa Mevis, both of whom went 3-for-4 from the field. As the top team after pool play, with six wins and just a single loss, the Germans, like the Spanish, automatically advanced to the semifinals. Canada, similar to Team USA, punched their ticket to the semis with a strong play-in win, defeating Australia 21-10. A breakout game from Kacie Bosch spurred the Canadian triumph. She was a perfect 6-for-6 from the field on four 1-pointers and two 2-pointers; she also sunk her lone free throw attempt to finish with nine points. However, if Canada is to overcome favored Germany, expect it to be due to the Plouffe twins. Michelle and Katherine, both of whom rank in the top five in points and rebounds across the competition, are the heartbeat of the Canadian program.

For the Canadians and Germans, as well as the Spanish, Monday presents the opportunity to earn their nation’s first-ever medal in women’s 3×3 basketball. Considering none of the programs qualified for the 2020 Olympics, reaching this stage is quite an accomplishment, indicative of the fast-increasing international quality of the sport.

Game information

Spain vs. United States

When: Monday, August 5 at 11:30 a.m. ET

Where: Place de la Concorde in Paris, France

How to watch: USA Network

Germany vs. Canada

When: Monday, August 5 at 12:30 p.m. ET

Where: Place de la Concorde in Paris, France

How to watch: USA Network

Bronze Medal Game

When: Monday, August 5 at 3 p.m. ET

Where: Place de la Concorde in Paris, France

How to watch: E! Network

Gold Medal Game

When: Monday, August 5 at 4 p.m. ET

Where: Place de la Concorde in Paris, France

How to watch: NBC

With the women’s 5×5 and 3×3 basketball competitions at the 2024 Olympic Games capturing the attention of the women’s hoops world, catch up on recent news and developments:

Paige is Unrivaled

Paige Bueckers has signed an NIL deal with Unrivaled, the forthcoming professional 3×3 league co-founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. The rising fifth-year UConn star will not play in Unrivaled until after her first WNBA season, but, like all Unrivaled players, she will gain ownership equity in the league, becoming the first college athlete to have such a stake in a pro league.

Unrivaled, a 30-player, six-team 3×3 league set to begin play in January 2025 in Miami, has thus far announced 10 participating players for the inaugural season: Stewart, Collier, Chelsea Gray, Arike Ogunbowale, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, Rhyne Howard, Kahleah Copper, Jackie Young and Angel Reese.

It also recently was announced that Bueckers will be the first college athlete to with a Nike collaboration, with Bueckers’ Nike GT Hustle 3 colorway scheduled to be revealed on Sept. 12.

BG speaks on homecomings for Whelan, Gershkovich

On Thursday, the United States, Russia and other countries agreed to a 24-prisoner exchange, the largest since the Cold War. The exchange allowed wrongfully-detained Americans Paul Whelan, a former Marine and corporate security executive, and Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, to return to the United States.

Brittney Griner, who was detained in a Russian prison for 10 months before returning home as part of a high-profile prisoner swap in December 2022, was asked about the news following Team USA’s victory over Belgium at the Paris Olympics. Griner said:

Great day. It’s a great day. It’s a great day. We’ll talk more about it later. But head over heels happy for the families right now. Any day that Americans come home, that’s a win. That’s a win.

She added, “I’m sure it’ll be emotional even more a little bit later on. Yeah. I’m just happy. Like this is a big win. A huge win.”

Since returning to the United States, Griner has been involved with Bring Our Families Home, a group formed by family members of American hostages and wrongful detainees. She also has spoken to President Biden on two occasions, urging him to keep wrongfully-detained Americans “on the forefront of everyone’s mind.”

The details on the WNBA’s new media rights deals

The WNBA’s new media rights deals are official. On Wednesday, July 24, the league announced the renewal of partnerships with Disney and Amazon Prime, along with a new agreement with NBC Universal (NBCU). The deals will begin in the 2026 season and extend through the 2036 season.

The new agreements will result in more than 125 regular-season and playoff games broadcast nationally each season. There will be at least 25 regular-season games on Disney platforms (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2). These games also will be available through ESPN’s forthcoming direct-to-consumer streaming service. At least 50 regular-season games will be distributed on NBCU platforms (NBC, USA Network, Peacock), and at least 30 regular-season games will be available through Prime Video.

For the playoffs, Disney platforms will broadcast two first-round series per year, with NBCU and Prime Video showing one first-round series. The semifinals and Finals will rotate over the term of the agreements; Disney will televise eight semifinals and five Finals, while Prime Video and NBCU both will distribute seven semifinals and three Finals. Disney will continue to be the home of the WNBA Draft and WNBA All-Star Game. The Commissioner’s Cup Championship will remain with Prime Video. Prime Video also will serve as the global distribution source for WNBA League Pass.

On the agreements, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said:

Partnering with Disney, Amazon and NBCU marks a monumental chapter in WNBA history and clearly demonstrates the significant rise in value and the historic level of interest in women’s basketball. These agreements allow the league to continue to build a long-term and sustainable growth model for the future of women’s basketball and sports which will benefit WNBA players, teams and fans.

All eyes on WNBA All-Star

Need more evidence why the WNBA has agreed to new, lucrative media rights deals? A record-setting All-Star Game. The 2024 WNBA All-Star Game attracted the largest WNBA audience ever on an ESPN platform. It also was the third most-watched WNBA event ever.