SAMI WHITCOMB

The Chinese team lifted coach Zheng Wei up, tossing her in the air after pulling off a thrilling victory over Australia. China is now guaranteed its first medal in the women's World Cup since 1994 after the 61-59 win over the Opals on Friday night in the semifinals. Han Xu had 19 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks to lead China (6-1), which will face the U.S. in the gold-medal game Saturday.

That moniker also works for the city's WNBA franchise, the New York Liberty, which has seven players competing in the women's World Cup for five different countries. The two Liberty players are on opposite teams a few weeks after their WNBA season ended with a playoff loss to Chicago in the opening round. Whitcomb said that the Liberty players talked about the potential of them all coming to Sydney for the World Cup. Whitcomb said the Liberty teammates have been getting coffee with each other in between games. New York isn't the only WNBA team well represented in Sydney: Seattle has five active players as well as Jackson.

New York has long been known as a melting pot.

Ezi Magbegor had 16 points and five blocks to help Australia beat Canada 75-72 in the women’s World Cup.

SYDNEY — (AP) — Bec Allen was instrumental in Australia's 69-54 win over Serbia scoring 16 points on Sunday in the World Cup. Allen was diving for a loose ball in front of the Australia bench when she took a knee to her midsection. Lauren Jackson scored five points in the period and the team played stellar defense, forcing Serbia into four shotclock violations. FRANCE 74, MALI 59Gabby Williams scored 14 points and Alexia Chartereau added 12 to help France beat Mali. Mali led 29-26 midway through the second period before the French closed the half on a 16-3 run.

Lauren Jackson has been named on her fifth FIBA World Cup roster for Australia in a comeback to international basketball.

Gabby Williams scored a season-high 23 points in Seattle’s 81-72 win over the New York Liberty in what was Storm guard Sue Bird’s final regular-season game in her hometown.

Elena Delle Donne and Chiney Ogwumike will have a major impact on the Washington Mystics and Los Angeles Sparks playoff chances now that they're back on the basketball court.

Both the U.S. Olympic team and the WNBA All-Stars expect a competitive game in the league’s showcase.

With less than a week remaining before the WNBA begins its Olympic break, teams are jockeying for position in the standings knowing that it will be a sprint to the finish once play resumes in August following the Tokyo Games and a monthlong hiatus.

The WNBA season isn’t even two weeks old and the New York Liberty have already doubled their win total from last year and are off to their best start since 2007.

The New York Liberty acquired Natasha Howard from the Seattle Storm as part of a tree-team trade Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)NEW YORK – The New York Liberty acquired Natasha Howard from the Seattle Storm as part of a three-team trade Wednesday. 1 pick didn't stay in Seattle long as the Storm traded it to Dallas for Katie Lou Samuelson and the Wings’ second-round pick in 2022. “We have the privilege of welcoming multiple-time WNBA champions Natasha Howard and Sami Whitcomb to Brooklyn,” general manager Jonathan Kolb said. “I am very excited to be a part of the New York Liberty organization,” she said.

Seattle Storm forward Breanna Stewart (30) celebrates after the team defated the Las Vegas Aces during Game 1 of basketball's WNBA Finals Friday, Oct. 2, 2020, in Bradenton, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)BRADENTON, Fla. – The Seattle Storm's lead down to two with a quarter left, Breanna Stewart took over. The big-game player scored the first 11 points of the fourth quarter and finished with 37 to help the Storm beat the Las Vegas Aces 93-80 on Friday night in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. She was a point short of the WNBA Finals record set by Angel McCoughtry. McCoughtry scored 20 points to lead Las Vegas, which was playing in the WNBA Finals for the first time since the franchise moved to the Nevada city three years ago. Eight players had reached 11 assists in a finals game before Bird's record performance.