Fresh off a loss to a WNBA all-star team, the U.S. women’s basketball team was back on track Tuesday in its only international warmup before the Olympics.
The U.S. team headed to Paris after a comfortable 84-57 win over Germany in London and will next face Japan in Olympic group play on Monday.
Two-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, the favorite to win her third award this season, led the team with 19 points, 14 rebounds, two steals and two blocks in 25 minutes of action. She recorded a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds) by halftime and led the USA throughout the win.
Breanna Stewart added 15 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. Diana Taurasi, playing in her sixth Olympic game, had five points, two rebounds and two assists in 16 minutes as a starter. Although USA didn’t shoot particularly well (41.7 percent from the field), the Americans held Germany to 29.4 percent shooting and forced 17 turnovers in the 40 minutes.
The U.S. turned that defense into a dominant transition game, outscoring Germany in fast-break points, 25-5.
U.S. aims to maintain dominance at Paris Olympics
The U.S. basketball team heads to Paris looking to maintain one of the most dominant records in Olympic history. The U.S. women’s team has won 55 consecutive Olympic games, including seven consecutive gold medals dating back to Atlanta 1996. Their last Olympic loss was in 1992 in Barcelona, when they won the bronze medal.
They are the favorites to win gold again in Paris, and there was little on Tuesday to suggest that this is not the case.
The U.S. led 22-9 in the first quarter and 44-32 by halftime. Germany, which features three WNBA players in Leonie Fiebich, Sato Sabari and Nyara Sabari, never trailed by single digits. The U.S. kept up the pressure throughout the fourth quarter and won by 27 points.
The match was a preview of the group stage matches in Paris, where the U.S. will play Belgium on Aug. 1 and Germany again in the final group match on Aug. 4.
