The GIST: After the American men avoided what would’ve been one of the biggest upsets of the Games and advanced to the gold medal matchup yesterday, women’s basketball takes center stage today when the stacked semis tip off in a few hours. Hoop yeah.

Team USA vs. Australia — 11:30 a.m. ET: With 59 straight Olympic dubs in their wake, the Americans are favored to win it all, especially with superstars like two-time WNBA MVPs A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart and Las Vegas Aces teammates and breakout performers Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum on their roster.

• The red, white, and blue overcame a meh start and overpowered Nigeria in the quarter-finals (QFs), but they’ll have their hands full with Australia — especially if Jade Melbourne’s fiery run of form continues and veteran Lauren Jackson returns to the court. Crikey!

France vs. Belgium — 3 p.m. ET: Don’t count out the host nation. Typically known for their defense, France showed off its offensive depth in their QF win, topping powerhouse Germany 84–71 behind 24 points from the NY Liberty’s Marine “Magnifique” Johannes.

• As for Belgium, they’ll be competing in their first Olympic semi, but fearless leader Emma Meesseman has plenty of championship experience, winning a WNBA ’ship (and Finals MVP) in 2019. That said, will it be enough to overcome an injury-depleted roster?

The GIST: A historic rivalry will add a new chapter when the No. 5 USWNT faces No. 9 Brazil in tomorrow’s 11 a.m. ET gold medal match. Brew a Triple Espresso, flip on today’s 9 a.m. ET bronze medal match between No. 1 Spain and No. 4 Germany as a warmup, then dive into the two major storylines heading into tomorrow’s kickoff.

USWNT reclaim signature grit and swagger: Head coach Emma Hayes made waves after the Americans’ 1–0 semis win over Germany, telling reporters she wanted the team to find inspiration in suffering. Well, she got her wish — this squad has been relentless and resilient, grinding out two straight extra-time knockout wins to compete for gold.

• American standouts include iconic centerback Naomi “brick wall” Girma, who’s held down the fort as the U.S.’ Big Three — Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson, and Trinity Rodman — mold their offensive might.
• The midfield has cause for concern, but with two-thirds of the team clicking, a redemptive gold is certainly within reach.

Can Marta leave the game on top? Tomorrow’s match is Brazil’s last chance to win their first international championship with the Queen of Football, as she’s set to retire from the national team at the end of the year.

• But with all due respect to the GOAT, Brazil played their strongest soccer of the tournament without her on the pitch, stunning No. 2 France 1–0 in the quarter-finals and topping reigning world champion Spain 4–2 in the semis.
• Brazil will be playing with ultimate heart, but the four-time gold medalist U.S. will be hard to beat, even in the face of their opponent’s fast-paced, fun footy. TL;DR? You simply can not miss this match.

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Team USA athletes — they’re taking advantage of the Olympic Village’s completely free medical clinic, complete with a gynecologist, dentist, ophthalmologist, cardiologist, and more. Hopefully they have a GI specialist, too…

The gold medal–winning time in the men’s 100m, despite massive advances in tech and training. Great Britain’s Harold Abrahams won with a 10.6-second finish in 1924, 0.81 seconds slower than Noah Lyles’ time last week. Wild.

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