Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France (AP) A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, and Brittney Griner controlled the paint to help the United States win its Olympic debut, as the Americans seek a remarkable eighth consecutive gold medal.
Wilson scored 24 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and blocked four shots as the United States defeated Japan 102-76 on Monday night.
“Points in the paint and controlling the boards are going to be huge for us moving forward,” Wilson told ESPN. “So if we can continue that, I feel like we’re in good shape.”
A’ja Wilson Dominates As US Women Beat Japan 102-76 To Open Campaign For 8th Straight Olympic Gold
Stewart scored 22 points, giving the Americans a 56-game Olympic winning streak dating back to the 1992 Barcelona Games.
The United States also defeated Japan in the final of the Tokyo Olympics three years ago for its seventh consecutive gold medal.
Now, Monday’s triumph has set off a run to keep that streak going.
“We recently played this team for a gold medal. And the way they play is unconventional. They hit a lot of threes. They are speedy. “They make you play in a different style,” said Diana Taurasi, who is attempting to capture a historic sixth gold medal. “And I think you saw those different moments where we struggled a little bit, and then we got used to it.”
Stewart, who is competing in her third Olympics, admitted to feeling nervous before the game.
“It was nice to get our first win under our belt. A team like Japan is a dangerous squad, so allowing them to get started and us to create that trust on the fly is critical,” Stewart said. “And now we kind of know the tone and the standard of, you know, what we’re going to do game in and game out.”
Japan, which was far smaller than the United States, used their frenzied style of shooting three-pointers off drives to the basket to keep the game close.
It worked for approximately 17 minutes, as Japan trailed 37-32 with 3:01 remaining before halftime. The United States then scored 13 of the final 19 points before halftime, including a three-point play by Wilson with 8.2 seconds left to take a double-digit lead.
“When it came to our strengths, it was our depth and our height,” Wilson informed the crowd. “And we attempted to punish them in the paint, as well as on defence, by remaining in front of them, since Japan is a team that likes to rip and run, which is not our style. So it forced us to play outside of our defensive tactics, which helped us lock in even more, so I’m just thrilled we have that presence.”
The Americans, who will face Belgium on Thursday, secured the victory in the third quarter. Chelsea Grey made beautiful tosses to Wilson for easy touchdowns, and the United States was off and running. Japan never threatened.
Maki Takada scored 24 points and Mai Yamamoto added 17 for Japan, which made 15 three-pointers. The United States made only four of its 20 three-point shots.
This was Griner’s first international game since her nine-year term for cocaine use and smuggling landed her in a Russian prison in 2022. At the time, the prospect of playing for her country again seemed unrealistic. Ten months later, she was released during a high-profile prisoner exchange.
Now, 19 months later, she’s playing for the United States in the Paris Games, her first international competition since returning from Russia.
Griner dominated the 2021 gold medal game, scoring 30 points. It was the most points scored by an American player in a gold medal game.
She recorded 11 points and nine rebounds on Monday. With Wilson grabbing 13, the Americans led 56-27 on the boards. They also had a significant 64-22 advantage in inside points.
Sabrina Ionescu and Kelsey Plum each scored 11 points for the Americans.
A’ja Wilson Dominates As US Women Beat Japan 102-76 To Open Campaign For 8th Straight Olympic Gold
The United States had a frightening moment in the second quarter when Kahleah Copper collided with Rui Machida of Japan and was down for a minute before getting up and walking away while holding her side. She returned in the fourth quarter and appeared good.
Coach Cheryl Reeve said she spoke with Copper before sending her back in, and the winger indicated she was fine.
The game concluded a full day of basketball. Nigeria shocked Australia, becoming only the second African country to win an Olympic medal. Germany won its Olympic debut, defeating Belgium, while host France defeated Canada in front of a boisterous crowd.
SOURCE | AP
