BLOGS

Swoopes hasn't watched much of the Olympics because of the early start times, but said she'll begin to focus on the Games now that Team USA is out of the dull pool play. She said she's anticipating another USA-Australia showdown for the gold medal. The Opals begin medal-round play against Czech Republic while Team USA faces South Korea, which features former Storm guard Sunmin Jung (above, left corner).

"We use the preliminary rounds to work on our stuff to get better for the next round," said Swoopes, a three-time Olympic gold medalist. "But I don't think there's anybody that can beat us, I really don't. At the same time, I know Lauren is determined. I really feel if Australia can beat the U.S., then Lauren will have accomplished everything that she's set out to accomplish in basketball. And she is just determined to do that. It'll be a very good game, but they don't have enough."

Yet, if Jackson does somehow get to the gold-medal game to face Team USA and does win, don't worry about her ditching the Storm. I've covered her since her rookie season and don't feel she's that type of athlete, although I could see her delaying her return to celebrate with her country.

Swoopes, who mentored Jackson since the 2000 Olympics when the Aussie was just 19, agreed with me regarding Jackson's loyalty to the Storm.

"Instead of her saying, 'We won gold, I'm going back home,' Lauren is more the type of person to say, 'We won gold and now I'm going back to Seattle to win a championship and I'm going to win MVP,' " Swoopes said. "She wants to keep piling it on. That [Jackson not returning] has never been a concern of mine. If they won gold, she's come back fired up and better than she already is."