Until now, basketball players of only three countries have become world champions: the United States - seven times, the USSR - six and Brazil - once. On Saturday, the Aussies replenished the list by defeating the Russian team in the final match of the 15th world championship.
The decisive match was preceded by two full dramatic semifinals. But if in the first, even though the sensation was close (Australia lost nine points in Brazil at the end of the third quarter), the favorites still won, the second ended in a historic victory for the Russian team over the US team.
Americans have not lost in official competitions since 1994. Not going to lose now. They lead the FIBA world ranking list by a wide margin (even now, after third place in the Brazilian world championship), and that neither the player in their team is the star of the female NBA. In the group tournament, they have already met with the Russian team. We won 90:80, but the final score should not be misleading - during the match the gap was more than 20 points.
Before the start of the playoffs, Russians in general had a pale appearance. After completely unnecessary defeats from France and the Czech Republic, it seemed quite presumptuous to talk about the chances of a medal. But the victory in the quarter-finals over the Spaniards convinced that at the crucial moment Igor Grudin’s team was able to show the maximum of their capabilities. True, this maximum is still below the maximum of American women. And therefore, another defeat in the dispute of two basketball schools seemed inevitable.
If the US team began the match of the group tournament with three long hits, then this time the Russians began to fire at the rivals ring in the debut from behind a six-meter arc. Accurate three-pointer Ilona Korstin and two - Oksana Rakhmatulina charged the team with unshakable self-confidence. By the end of the first quarter, Russia had a plus of 12, in the middle of the third a plus of 17, and before the last break its advantage was already 20 points! Our rivals all this time seemed to remain convinced of their infallibility and invincibility. However, any attempt to chase confidently suppressed by the exact actions of the Russians in both attack and defense. Over 3.20 to the end, the advantage remained enormous (70:53), and any other team, except the American, in such a situation would recognize itself defeated.
But the US team once again proved that nothing is impossible for her in basketball. She could save the game! The gap began to melt rapidly - in half a minute to the end it was already just plus 5, Maria Stepanova was sitting on a bench with five fouls and the Americans owned the ball. If they completed the next attack effectively, who knows how it would end. But the Russians managed to provide maximum resistance during the throw, and Korstin at the decisive moment picked up the selection. 75:68 - the victory of the Russian team, well-deserved and confirmed by all statistical calculations. She surpassed her rivals in the fight under the shield, and the percentage of long-range hits (8 in 15 attempts) is generally amazing.
Thus, the wards of Grudin managed to interrupt the long-term hegemony of the American team, who won in a row at three Olympics and two world championships. But on the way to the championship title was another brilliant team - the Australian team. In order to cope with it, the Russians no longer had either skill or emotion. The team attack did not work, and the leadership efforts of Maria Stepanova (she was the best in the Russian team in absolutely all respects, including transfers and interceptions) was not enough not to win even - to maintain intrigue. At her usual, that is, a very high level, Lauren Jackson played, and besides, Christie Harrow and especially Penny Taylor shone in the Australian team, who left no doubt who would be named the most valuable player in the championship.
Mikhail Melnikov