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The U.S. women knew they were expected to pick up the brethren after the men failed to win the gold medal in the world championship.
Sheryl Swoopes said before the tournament that it happens each time the U.S. men lose -- but the women have always come through.
Not this time.
Russia upset the U.S. women 75-68 on Thursday at the world basketball championship in Sao Paolo, Brazil, denying the two-time defending champion Americans a shot at a third consecutive gold medal and ending their 50-game international winning streak.
"Russia played the best that I've seen them play," U.S. coach Anne Donovan said. "They average three threes a game, and tonight they shot it really well. But we have another game and need to get focused and locked in on Brazil."
The USA plays Brazil on Saturday in the bronze medal game (10 a.m. ET, NBA TV), and Russia faces unbeaten Australia in the gold medal game (1 p.m. ET, NBA TV).
Like their male counterparts, the U.S. women can do no better than bronze. It marks just the second time in 31 years the USA didn't claim the men's or women's world title. In 1975, the women finished eighth in the world championship after the men won bronze in the 1974 tournament.
Donovan was concerned about the USA's poor shooting going into the game, and it caught up with her squad. Statistically, the women's loss was similar to the men's in the world semifinals against Greece.
*Free throws: Against Russia, the women shot 46.1% (6-for-13); the men shot 58.8% (20-for-34) against Greece.
*Three-pointers: Against Russia, the women shot 36.3% (8-for-22); the men shot 32.1% (9-for-28) against Greece.
Russia extended its lead to 20 points at the end of the third quarter, in which it shot 9-for-13 and had just four turnovers. Team USA coughed it up 10 times and was 2-for-15 from the field.
"We have gotten away with not shooting the ball well," Donovan said, "but tonight we ran into a team that it was their night when we didn't shoot it well."
Diana Taurasi had 21 points to lead the USA, and Tina Thompson added 15.
Swoopes said there is no time for the USA to feel sorry for itself. "It's hard to believe we have another game and it's not the gold medal game," the three-time Olympic gold medalist said. "We have some very talented young players on this team, but talent is only going to take you so far, then you have to step up. ... We can't go home empty-handed, and if we lose to Brazil, that's what will happen."
The USA, which beat Russia 90-80 in the first round, now has to participate in an eight-team Olympic qualifier next summer in Valdivia, Chile, with the winner earning an Olympic berth in 2008.
*Box score, 19C
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