Olympic Basketball 2012: Australia Will Be No Match for Maya Moore and Team USA
Maya Moore has been one of the key performers for an extremely balanced Team USA attack. The men's team will get most of the spotlight, but the women are blowing through competition easier than the men.
The talent gap is greater on the women's side for sure. No American opponent has been closer than 27 points, and that trend isn't likely to change against Australia. The semifinal game is set for 12 PM ET.
The Australians are the second-highest scoring team behind the Americans, but it's a distant second. They have scored 71 points per game while Team USA has scored a whopping 92 per contest.
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Moore has been a stat-sheet stuffer.
In Team USA's blowout win over Canada in the quarterfinals, Moore had 11 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals. Just like the men's team, the women have several weapons that carry a large scoring load for their WNBA squads.
But they have cut their roles down to fit the scope of this team. Moore is a perfect example of that concept.
Australia will definitely represent Team USA's biggest challenge yet. They have dropped only one game in Olympic competition. That was a 74-70 loss to France in group play.
In their last game, the Aussies used a strong fourth quarter to pull away from China. They won 75-60 behind 17 points and seven rebounds from Liz Cambage. She could provide some difficulty for the Americans.
At 6'8" she is a force in the middle. But most of the American squad is used to competing against her, as she is a member of the WNBA's Tulsa Shock.
Australia may keep it close for a quarter, but ultimately the Americans athleticism and versatility will have them pull away.
My prediction is a 94-76 win for Team USA.
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