Arizona Stars to Shine: Athletes to Watch at the Paris Olympics on August 6

Excitement continues as the Summer Olympics in Paris progress, and Arizona athletes remain in the spotlight on Tuesday.

PARIS, France — Medal hopes are alive for several Arizona Olympians as the 2024 Summer Olympics feature another day of thrilling competition. On Monday, ex-Phoenix Mercury forward Cierra Burdick secured bronze in 3×3 basketball.

Here’s a rundown of the Arizona athletes competing today, August 6.

Men’s Basketball

The men’s basketball quarterfinals feature Arizona connections in each matchup:

Germany vs. Greece, 2 a.m.

Georgios Papagiannis, Greece. Drafted by the Phoenix Suns in 2016, now averaging 3.3 points and five rebounds in the Olympics.

Serbia vs. Australia, 5:30 a.m.

Josh Green, Australia. Former Mountain Ridge High and University of Arizona player, recently traded to the Charlotte Hornets.

Jock Landale, Australia. Ex-Phoenix Suns player now with the Houston Rockets, leading Australia’s Olympic charge with 17.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.

France vs. Canada, 9 a.m.

Luguentz “Lu” Dort, Canada. Played one year at Arizona State, now a core player for the Oklahoma City Thunder, averaging 6.3 points and two rebounds per game.

USA vs. Brazil, 12:30 p.m.

Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, USA. Both current Phoenix Suns players contributing significantly — Durant with 16 points per game, Booker with 10.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists.

Water Polo

Quarterfinals for women’s water polo begin on Tuesday with Arizona links in the following games:

Canada vs. Spain, 5 a.m.

Blaire McDowell, Canada. Former ASU player, currently logging substantial playing time for Canada.

Netherlands vs. Italy, 6:35 a.m.

Bente and Lieke Rogge, Netherlands. Both former ASU players, contributing significantly with six and seven goals respectively in the Olympics.

Track and Field

A few key Arizona-related track and field events to watch:

Women’s 1,500 meters

Round 1 heats at 1:05 a.m., featuring Flagstaff’s Nikki Hiltz in heat two.

Men’s 110-meter hurdles

Repechage round at 1:50 a.m., Phoenix Track Club’s Freddie Crittenden in heat one.

Men’s 1,500 meters

Finals at 11:50 a.m., with Flagstaff-based athletes Hobbs Kessler (USA) and Neil Gourley (Great Britain) competing.

Soccer

Women’s soccer semifinals also feature an Arizona connection:

USA vs. Germany, 9 a.m.

Sydney Smith, USA. Engaged to Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson.