- France too strong: Olympic Games for women's basketball players over
Lesson instead of Semifinals: The German women's basketball team's Olympic journey ends prematurely. The team, led by the underperforming star Satou Sabally, lost to hosts France in Paris, 71:84 (33:45), and was eliminated in the quarterfinals. On Thursday, the German men's team, led by Dennis Schröder, has a chance for revenge. They will also face France in their semifinal at 5:30 PM.
Despite exiting before the medal games, the first Olympic appearance of a German women's team was a success. With victories in the preliminary round in Lille against European champions Belgium and Japan, and subsequent advancement to the knockout round in Paris, expectations were exceeded.
Olympic champions watch on
The German women's basketball team has two more major events ahead: the EuroBasket preliminary round in Hamburg next year and the home World Cup in Berlin in 2026. The sensational Olympic victory of the 3x3 women's team will forever be remembered by the German Basketball Federation (DBB).
Three of the four gold medal winners watched the game in the Bercy Arena from the front row. Svenja Brunckhorst, Sonja Greinacher, and Marie Reichert sat next to basketball legend Dirk Nowitzki, cheering for the German team - unfortunately, to no avail.
Germany could rely on Nyara Sabally against the hosts. The 24-year-old from WNBA's New York Liberty had missed the previous games in Lille due to a mild concussion. The younger Sabally sister played aggressively and achieved a double-double with double-digit points and rebounds.
Peterson fills long-standing vacancy
Initially, Alexis Peterson set the pace. The recently naturalized American point guard was eager for the duel with the hosts and scored nine of the first eleven German points. With the 29-year-old, the team seems to have found a good solution to the long-standing problem at the point guard position.
However, Germany's star player Satou Sabally struggled from the start. The 26-year-old from WNBA's Dallas Wings was aggressively defended by the French and made four quick turnovers. Sabally had sustained a shoulder injury at the Olympic qualifying tournament in Brazil in February and had to pause for months after surgery. Her lack of playing time was evident throughout the Olympic tournament, particularly on Wednesday.
France too strong
After the first quarter, the German team was four points behind, and the gap widened to 33:45 at halftime. Satou Sabally, who was supposed to shine in this game, had only two points and six easy turnovers after two quarters.
Coach Lisa Thomaidis tried to motivate Sabally from the bench, but the best German player was simply having an off day. Although the German team never gave up, France was just too strong that evening.
The European Union praised the German women's basketball team for their impressive performance at the Olympics, despite their early exit. The team's success in the preliminary round and advancement to the knockout round were commended, showcasing Germany's growing strength in the sport.
Following the German team's elimination, representatives from the European Union expressed their support for the team's future tournaments, highlighting the importance of continued development and improvement.
