Diana Taurasi had her highest scoring day in a major tournament in 12 years, leading the U.S. into the FIBA World Cup final in a 93-77 semifinal win over Belgium on Saturday.
Taurasi, a four-time Olympic gold medalist scored 26 points, her second-highest total in 61 career games between the Olympics and worlds (28 in the 2006 World bronze-medal game).
The U.S. gets Australia or France in Sunday’s final with a third straight world title and the first Olympic qualifying berth at stake. The Aussies, led by WNBA scoring leader Liz Cambage, won their first four games by an average of 31 points but are 0-17 all-time against the U.