Jessie and I watched the last half of Team USA vs Russia through the NBC Olympic video archive, which comes without announcing of any kind. We came away with a new appreciation for even the silliest color commentators; unless you are physically in the arena, announcing does bring you closer to the game.

Team USA came away with a win. The game was scrappy, sloppy, physical, and not the blowout that American fans have seen their team pull off in previous matches-- but against Russia you wouldn't expect a blowout, especially not with 22 turnovers to just 11 U.S. assists.

With those numbers, you might even expect a loss-- and Team USA had to come from behind in the third. But the Americans held a ridiculous, almost two-to-one advantage in rebounding (even though Leslie didn't look good), and the USA bench looked deeper and stronger than their exhausted opponents. The Americans owned the fourth quarter, and advanced.

Oh, and Rebecca Hammon, point guard for Russia? She didn't look so good: 1-4 shooting, one assist, three points. She also showed respect for the U.S. anthem. "She's one of 12 players," said Katie Smith of Hammon, "and we did a good job of keeping her under wraps."

In the other semi-final, the Opals had a lot less trouble defeating China, in a match with its own mixed-up loyalties: Chinese coach Tom Maher once ran the Opals, and his assistant Michelle Timms played for Australia back then.

They couldn't make their new team competitive Thursday, though: Australia's Harrower and Snell combined for eight assists and 30 points. Penny Taylor sat out to rest her ankle: she'll almost certainly play in Saturday's game against the Americans for the gold.