Olympic Links

About 12 hours away from tomorrow's semifinal games, let's take a trip around the Internet.

- Here's a link that has Lauren Jackson and Aussie team doctor Dr. Scott Burne talking about her upcoming surgery as well as Penny Taylor's sprained ankle. Sounds like Taylor could play against China and will likely be back for Saturday.

- Scott and Angie Engelhardt continue blogging away from Beijing, including their experience at the Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasum for the quarterfinal games.

The trend I was watching concerning how demonstrative US fans are at the games
continued. There were many more US fans at this game, but still no where near
the rabid support we saw from the Aussies. A few flags were waving, but no
organized chants. Are we so afraid of being seen as rude or arrogant? Angie and
were yelling like we normally do — at the refs, for some of the players, normal
stuff — and we were getting looks. I’ll keep watching how this plays out as the
games get bigger leading up to the Gold medal match (if the US gets there).

- The Sydney Morning Herald has a story on the close relationship between Jackson and Chinese Head Coach Tom Maher, who was the coach of the Opals in 2000 when they won silver in Sydney.

Says Maher: "Every generation we see a great player, a truly world-class basketball player come along. It was Robyn Maher and Michele Timms and before that it was, say, Jenny Cheesman, and people like that. But I don't see Lauren in the same category as that, because I think she's a once-in-a-lifetime player."

- The Boston Globe takes a look at the close friendship of Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi.

- Adam Hirshfield of WNBA.com has a good take on the USA looking to avenge its loss to Russia in the semifinals of the 2006 FIBA World Championships. USABasketball.com scouts Hammon and company.

- According to USAToday's blog, the U.S. Women's teams in basketball, soccer and volleyball got together to hang out at their practices, meet each other and take a three-team photo. Kara Lawson related that she and Bird played soccer against each other at ages 10 and 11. Check out video at the U.S. National Soccer blog.