Hammon to face off against U.S. in Olympic semifinal

By Journal staff | Wednesday, August 20, 2008

It's the match up Rapid City native Becky Hammon had hoped to avoid.

The American born and bred WNBA star, who opted to play for the Russian Olympic team after not being offered a spot on the U.S. team, will face the team that spurned her.

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On Thursday, Russia will play the heavily favored USA team in the semifinals of the women's basketball competition at the 2008 Olympics being held in Beijing.

Hammon has been under the pressure for playing for the Russian team since announcing her intentions earlier this summer. Among the most notable critics was Team USA head coach Anne Donovan, who herself was unable to participate in the Olympics in 1980 because of the U.S. boycott of the games.

"If you play in this country, live in this country, and you grow up in the heartland and you put on a Russian uniform, you are not a patriotic person in my mind," Donovan said. Since, she has been more muted in her criticism.

Hammon, who said she faced the decision to either watch the Olympics on TV or have a chance to play on the world's biggest stage, has largely tried to deflect attention from the situation.

In post game interviews, she has limited queries and tries to speak to matters mostly on the court.

The winner of the U.S. vs. Russia game will advance to play for the gold medal.

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