Olympic Basketball Bracket 2024: Australia Beats Belgium to Win Women's Bronze Medal

Australia held off Belgium in an 85-81 win to earn the bronze medal in women's basketball Sunday at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

The Belgians had an opportunity to tie the game inside the final minute after Kyara Linskens pulled down a defensive rebound with just under 41 seconds on the clock. But Australia's Steph Talbot blocked Antonia Delaere's three-point effort from the corner at the other end of the floor.

Belgium coach Rachid Meziane called a timeout immediately after to draw up one more play for what would be a pivotal bucket. The possession ended in a shot-clock violation, though, and Tess Madgen iced the victory from there at the charity stripe for the Opals.

Ezi Magbegor was unstoppable inside for Australia. The Seattle Storm star poured in a game-high 30 points on 12-of-17 shooting and added 13 rebounds, three assists, two steals and three blocks.

Alanna Smith (13 points and 12 rebounds) also posted a double-double, and the backcourt tandem of Jade Melbourne and Sami Whitcomb combined for 12 assists.

Julie Vanloo paced Belgium with 26 points and dished out 11 dimes, while Emma Meesseman scored 23 points.

Australia's edge on the glass proved to be an important factor in the outcome. It finished with a 44-31 edge in total rebounding, and that translated to a 12-point difference in second-chance scoring.

The Opals are now a six-time medalist in the Summer Games, and this is their first trip to the podium since 2012 after suffering back-to-back quarterfinal exits.