PARIS, France — Lauren Mansfield, a former Iowa State Cyclone, and the Australian 3x3 women's basketball will face Canada Saturday afternoon in a play-in game they must win.
The team finished 1-1 in its two games on Friday and lost to France 18-16 in overtime on Saturday morning.
The top two teams from pool round play, Germany and Spain, have earned automatic bids to the semifinals. The following four teams will compete in the play-in set of games to determine the last two semifinal spots:
- Australia vs. Canada (2:30 p.m. CT Saturday)
- USA vs China (3:05 p.m. CT Saturday)
Australia has already lost to Canada 22-14 in a group play game that started their Olympic schedule on July 30.
BELOW IS A RECAP OF AUSTRALIA'S TWO GAMES ON FRIDAY
Lauren Mansfield chipped in 5 points and 2 rebounds on 4-of-9 shooting to help push Australia past Azerbaijan 21-12. The following game, Mansfield was a "Did Not Play" (DNP) in Australia's 21-17 loss to Spain.
Now with a 4-2 record in pool round play, Australia continues to be toward the top of the group standings since Mansfield and company earned their first win against Germany. The Australian team had a four-game win streak heading into the Friday's matchup against Spain, including wins against the USA and China. Now, Australia is in the mix for a top-two finish in pool play.
Who is Lauren Mansfield?
Mansfield played for the Cyclones for two seasons (2010-2012). She was co-captain for the Cyclones during her senior year and averaged 8.2 points, 3.3 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game.
Mansfield also recorded 26 career games with five or more assists and finished with double-figure scoring 11 times as a senior.
The now 34-year-old moved back to Australia to start her professional career in 2012. She currently plays for the Adelaide Lightning.
Mansfield also has plenty of experience playing 3x3: her team won bronze in the Commonwealth Games and in the FIBA 3x3 World Cup. In 2024, she won gold with Australia at the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup and won the FIBA 3x3 Universality Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
