If you can take a nap and not have to worry about getting to work until mid-morning, a span of about 12 hours Monday night through Tuesday morning will feature an almost non-stop deluge of high-end sports featuring United States women’s teams.
There are five significant events that will play a role in determining the success of the United States in team competition at the Olympics.
Here’s your road map. All times listed are Twin Cities time, which is 14 hours behind Japan. In other words, our 9 p.m. volleyball on Monday is at 11 a.m. Tuesday in Tokyo.
9 p.m.: Volleyball: The United States takes on China, the 2016 Olympic gold medal winners, in pool play. The U.S. team, which includes Jordan Thompson of Edina, is the top seed and swept three sets from Argentina in its opening match. China is No. 3. Live on NBCOlympics.com, replays at 11 p.m. on Ch. 11 and 5 p.m. Tuesday on NBCSN.
11:40 p.m.: Basketball: Going for its seventh consecutive gold medal, the USA opens pool play against Nigeria. The team includes Lynx stars Sylvia Fowles and Napheesa Collier, and has Cheryl Reeve on the bench as an assistant. Don’t expect an upset. The United States won 93-62 in an exhibition game earlier this month. Live on USA Network, replay at 7 p.m. Tuesday on NBCSN.
3 a.m.: Soccer. The United States was shocked in a 3-0 loss to Sweden and then rallied to beat New Zealand 6-1. It concludes pool play with a game against Australia. A win or tie is needed for the USA to advance to the knockout round of the tournament. Live on USA Network, replays at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
5:45 a.m. Gymnastics: One of the glamour events is up with the team finals in women’s gymnastics. That means you’ll be seeing Suni Lee of St. Paul and Grace McCallum of Isanti on the four-person team. (Yes, this is one of the few gymnastics stories that doesn’t mention Simone Biles first.) The USA is favored, but finished behind Russia in the qualifying round over the weekend. Live on NBCOlympics.com and Peacock, replay at 7 p.m. on Ch. 11.
6 a.m. Softball: The gold medal game between the United States and Japan is a rematch of Monday’s game (Sunday night in Minnesota) when the USA won 2-1 on a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh. Because the teams knew there would be a rematch, the stakes of that game weren’t as high as they would have been under normal circumstances. Live on NBCSN, replay at 8:45 p.m.
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