Three members of the 2000-01 UConn women's basketball, quite possibly the most talented team in the history of women's college hoops, will take the court on Thursday with a spot in the Olympic gold medal on the line.

Svetlana Abrosimova had seven points, five rebounds and three assists as Russia rallied from an 18-point deficit to defeat Spain 84-65 in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Abrosimova and Russia will face the United States in the second semifinals. Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird are starters for the undefeated U.S. team.

Abrosimova and Bird were teammates on UConn's 2000 national championship team. The next year Diana Taurasi joined them on a UConn team featuring seven future WNBA first-round picks and eight players from that team (Bird, Taurasi, Abrosimova, Kelly Schumacher, Ashja Jones, Swin Cash, Tamika Raymond and Ashley Battle) are still playing in the WNBA. Jessica Moore was also on that squad but sat out the season as a redshirt. Perhaps even more impressive is that of the 14 players who appeared in games with UConn that season five have spent time as coaches. Season-ending injuries to Abrosimova and current UConn assistant coach Shea Ralph proved to be too much to overcome as UConn lost to Notre Dame in the national semifinals.

Australia, which may be without injured star Penny Taylor, will face China in the other semifinal.