After the first week of the 2024 Olympic Games, three former Notre Dame players are still in contention for a gold medal. And they will face off against each other on Wednesday, as the United States plays Nigeria in the quarterfinals.
Both Jewell Loyd and Jackie Young are competing for Team USA, and each of them won an Olympic gold medal in Tokyo (Loyd in 5×5, Young in 3×3). Young was a major contributor for the United States over the last two games of group play, exploding onto the scene in Game 3 against Germany. The Las Vegas Aces guard led all players with 19 points and 4 steals while going 5-8 from deep.
Loyd’s best game came in the Olympic opener against Belgium. She had 8 points, 3 boards and 3 assists.
Nigeria has been one of the big surprises of the Olympics thus far. The group went 2-1 in group play with wins over Australia and Canada and has advanced to its first ever Olympic quarterfinal. Former Irish center Lauren Ebo played 6 minutes over the three games and notched a pair of rebounds.
Two additional Irish alums played for Canada in these Olympics — Natalie Achonwa and Cassandre Prosper — and were eliminated after group play. Over three games, Achonwa had 13 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists. Prosper’s best game was Game 3 against Nigeria, as the current Irish wing had 4 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists.
While group play took place in Lille, the knockout rounds will be played at Bercy Arena in Paris. The pyramid-shaped arena is located on the Seine River and is the home to the gymnastics competitions these Games as well. Wednesday’s game between the Americans and Nigerians begins at 3:30 ET.
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