Here at Pierre Mauroy Stadium for Team USA-Belgium women’s basketball and man, it is LOUD.

With Belgium being a quick train ride away, the Belgian fans have showed up and showed out. There certainly are pockets of US fans, but besides a potential match up with France down the road, this was always going to be the game when Team USA faced the most in terms of a “visiting team” experience.

After a slower start against Japan than what Cheryl Reeve wanted, it will be interesting to see how much more quickly Team USA might make adjustments and switch up the game plan against Belgium. Team USA’s goal is, obviously, always to exert their own dominance on other teams but Belgium has a few pieces that will make that difficult.

Emma Meesseman, the 2019 WNBA Finals MVP, is elite and she’s going to go right at A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart (whoever gets the call to guard her). Kyara Linskens is a tough match up — a big center with the ability to step out and knock down a 3.

Then, guard Julie Vanloo — who’s in the middle of an excellent season with the Washington Mystics right now (her GM, Mike Thibault, is an assistant coach for Team USA) — is going to be the piece that gets everything moving for the Belgian Cats.

All in all, this was the game of group play that I thought would most test Team USA. A few minutes from tip off… we’ll see if I’m right.