Black eyes, split lips in store for women

Any misconceptions about women's basketball have been crushed by Australian superstar Lauren Jackson, who warned of black eyes and broken bones when the Olympic competition starts.

The Opals have lost in the gold-medal playoff at the past two Games to archrivals the United States, and judging by their warm-up game in China, fists will fly.

The Australians were left sporting bruises, cut lips and black eyes after the game that the Americans won 71-67.

The physical nature of the showdown prompted Jackson to issue a stinging warning to her rivals that they can give as good as they get.

"Games like that definitely leave a sour taste in your mouth, but it makes you more determined to get them in the future," Jackson, who plays in the US with WNBA team Seattle, told reporters.

"In terms of physicality we're used to playing against teams that are going to beat the crap out of us because we are so good.

"People have to stop us somehow, and that's the way they're going to stop us, especially people like us, Penny Taylor and myself and Belinda Snell who you just can't let go to the basket because we'll kill people.

"So they're going to really stop us anyway that they can and generally that's when black eyes and broken bones occur."

One of the worst affected by the heavy checking of American power forward Tina Thompson was guard Taylor, the 2006 World Championship Most Valuable Player.

She arrived at Beijing airport wearing a cap to disguise an impressive black eye, according to Australian Olympic officials.

"It's always a battle out there," said Jackson. "You expect to get black eyes, cut lips.

"The great thing about the American team is that most of them are very good friends of ours, so when we get out on the court we know it isn't personal, but it is a dogfight and people are going to get hurt."

US center Lisa Leslie said they played hard but fair, and promised more of the same as the pre-Olympic sparring was stepped up.

"We're definitely ready to play a physical game," she said Thursday.

Asked about the possibility of broken bones, she replied: "Whatever. However you want to do it, you've just got to go out there and do whatever it takes to win gold. We play hard. We don't try to play dirty."

US coach Anne Donovan said there was a healthy rivarly between the two sides and being physical was part of the game.

"There's a very healthy rivalry that's good for women's basketball," she said. "The game we played against them was a physical game, no doubt. It got very physical, but certainly not one-sided."

AFP

(China Daily 08/08/2008 page54)