"Australia played a very good game and really tested us," said USA and Seattle Storm head coach Anne Donovan. "I feel good walking away with the win, and a good win in the fourth quarter and also recognizing that there are things we need to continue to work on and build on. Defensively we were having a hard time staying with them. Losing Seimone (Augustus) was a big blow to us, but hopefully she’s going to be all right. She was playing some good basketball, and was by far our best perimeter defender."

The USA Women’s Senior National Team next heads to Valdivia, Chile, for its final preparations for the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship. Contested Sept. 26-30, the tournament’s gold medal winner will earn one of 12 qualifying berths for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

In a completely different showing than the 96-64 win the U.S. earned over Australia on Sunday in the first of two exhibition games, Australia came out fighting and the U.S. was sluggish and flat. However, the USA managed a 24-23 edge at the end of the first quarter.

Australia opened the second with a 10-2 run and at 5:23 the USA was in the hole 33-26. The U.S. was given its requested time out following the second Hollie Grima bucket and Donovan regrouped her troops. Returning to the court with more focus, the Americas erased the deficit and evened the score at 33-all with 2:16 to go. By halftime Australia owned a 36-35 and a 6-11 turnover margin.

"We opened a little slow, but after the first quarter, we wanted to focus on the backboard and getting back in transition," said Parker. "We fixed that, and it came out our way."

The second half, which saw the USA turn the ball over only four times, remained a battle. Neither team was able to hold onto more than a five-point lead in the third quarter, which ended with the United States up by two points, 53-51.

Australia knotted the score twice early in the fourth quarter, but a pair of Kara Lawson (Sacramento Monarchs) free throws at 8:33 gave the U.S. the lead for good, 57-55. Rebekkah Brunson (Sacramento Monarchs), who grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, got a steal on Australia’s next possession and got the ball to Parker for the first of back-to-back Parker buckets that put the red, white and blue up 61-55 with 7:41 to play. Australia would not give up inched back to within two points three times and with 1:54 to play the U.S. was up 68-66. After misses on both ends and an offensive foul committed by Brunson, she was fouled with 26.6 ticks remaining. Brunson sunk both free throws for the game’s final points. Australia managed to get off a 3-point attempt with under 10 seconds to play, but it was off the mark and Parker grabbed the rebound to seal the win.

"I think what tonight’s game was for us was growing pains," said veteran USA guard Sue Bird of the Seattle Storm. "Us getting used to each other. There were times on offense where little things could have gone either way and because we're not used to playing with each other all that much, they didn’t go our way. But that’s going to happen. That’s just the way it is and that’s what we’re fighting."

In addition to the combined 35 points from Augustus and Parker, the USA received nine points apiece from Bird, Lawson and Tina Thompson (Houston Comets).

In the close battle, which saw 14 lead changes and 11 tied scores, the United States won the battle on the boards with a 37-28 advantage. The well-matched squads each finished with 15 turnovers and seven steals and the USA shot 42.6 percent from the field (26-61 FGs), while Australia connected on 42.4 percent (25-59 FGs).

Australia was without some of its big guns, including 2007 WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson (Seattle Storm) and Penny Taylor (Phoenix Mercury).

The 2007-08 USA Basketball Women’s Senior National Team lists a total of 27 players on its roster, including eight Olympic gold medalists, five World Championship gold medalists and all 12 members of the 2006 USA World Championship Team.

Donovan is being assisted by 2006 WNBA Coach of the Year Mike Thibault of the Connecticut Sun and collegiate head coaches Gail Goestenkors of the University of Texas and Temple University’s (Pa.) Dawn Staley. During the USA’s 2007 College Tour, Goestenkors and Staley will be coaching their respective teams and will not be on the USA’s sidelines.

Slated for Sept. 26-30 in Valdivia, Chile, in addition to the USA, teams participating in the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship will be Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Cuba, Jamaica and Mexico. Should the United States not return home from Chile with the gold medal, there will be one final chance to qualify for the Olympics at the 2008 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament slated for June 9-15 at a site TBD.

Teams finishing in second, third and fourth place at the 2007 FIBA Americas tournament will have one final chance to earn a spot in Beijing’s 12-nation field at the 2008 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Those three nations along with nine other national teams from around the globe who did not claim gold at the remaining FIBA zones, including two from Africa (silver and bronze medalists), two from Asia (silver and bronze medalists), four from Europe (second through fourth place finishers) and one from Oceania (silver medalist), will compete for the final five Olympic slots at the 2008 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.