Women's basketball preview: 3 things to watch for in Canada-Serbia

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Canada (1-0) comes into its second contest of the tournament with plenty of confidence after dispatching China with ease.

Serbia (0-1), meanwhile, is looking for revenge after suffering a six-point heartbreaker at the hands of Spain in its opening game.

Here are three things to know for Monday's clash:

Serbia's on the rise

Don't sleep on Serbia simply for its 14th-place ranking from FIBA. Following decades in relative obscurity, the Serbian women's team is finally ready to make its mark on the world stage.

After finishing no higher than fourth in EuroBasket competitions since 1993, Serbia was crowned the champions of Europe in 2015. That victory led to yet another milestone, as Serbia is now playing in its first-ever Olympics since the dissolution of Yugoslavia.

Serbia's rise has coincided with the hiring of head coach Marina Maljkovic in 2011. She broke onto the scene as the daughter of famous Serbian coach Bozidar Maljkovic, but Marina has quickly made a name for herself by leading the women's team to unprecedented heights.

Can Canada maintain momentum?

Canada's formula for success is simple: Dominate the glass and move the ball for open shots.

They worked both to perfection in the team's 22-point victory over China on Saturday. Canada out-rebounded China by 14 and recorded 27 assists on 32 field goals.

Defeating Serbia should be no problem for Canada if the team posts a repeat of those numbers.

Dabovic and Petrovic

Serbia features a pair of WNBA talents in Sonja Petrovic and Ana Dabovic. Neither player is a star for their respective clubs, but they flourish for their national team.

Petrovic is a do-it-all wing player who can handle the offense as a point forward. She rarely played in the WNBA, but did average 15.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in Euroleague competition. She was also named to the Eurobasket All-Tournament Team in 2015.

The other half of Serbia's one-two punch is sharpshooter Ana Dabovic. The 26-year-old shooting guard was named MVP of EuroBasket 2015 and was a key bench player for the Los Angeles Sparks in 2015. Dabovic is an excellent catch-and-shoot player who can also handle the rock and get to the line.