Dealing with the U.S. women’s basketball team’s star power, size, and incredible offensive talent is part of the game. However, due of their defense, playing against this group of Americans in Paris has been really tough thus far.
The overseas game is always considerably more physical, and American teams frequently experience some culture shock when they play there. However, this iteration of Team USA has welcomed it wholeheartedly and turned it into a weapon against its rivals.
Even though they didn’t play their greatest offensive game, the United States won 87-68 in Lille, France, on Sunday because to their stifling and unrelenting physical defense against a respectably strong Germany squad.
That makes for 58 consecutive Olympic victories and the top seed going into the medal round, which gets underway in Paris on Wednesday as Team USA aims to win gold for the eighth time in a row. The United States will next face Nigeria, the first African team to advance that far in an Olympic competition. The draw was revealed late on Sunday evening.
Jackie Young led the U.S. in scoring against Germany with 19, followed by A’ja Wilson with 14 and Breanna Stewart with 13. The offensive stats are merely documented; the game’s narrative was significantly different from those numbers.
Coach Cheryl Reeve of side USA has successfully persuaded her side to fully embrace their potential to control the pace of the game with defensive vigor.
The U.S. put on a masterclass in team defensive basketball, whether it was with the play of Napheesa Collier and Alyssa Thomas, Wilson and Stewart dominating pick-and-rolls, or Kelsey Plum and Young at the point of attack.
Regarding the depth, Reeve remarked, “Without it, we’re not the USA dynasty.” “I think it’s what defines the dynasty is the depth of talent that the USA has.”
The Americans struggled from long range early in the game, as Germany (2-1 in pool play) led after the opening quarter and was within single digits multiple times early in the second half.
Reeve looked to the next five players, Sabrina Ionescu, Jewell Loyd, Brittney Griner, Thomas, and Young, as the starters were having some difficulty.
“I mean, I think that’s what makes our team special. We have a lot of lineups, a lot of things that we can do,” Thomas stated. “We didn’t have the best start and did a line change and jump-started the game.”
An endless chain of steals, deflections, and energy gave the U.S. room for error. It forced Germany into an astounding 23 turnovers and produced 12 thefts, of which Young and Wilson grabbed four, for a total of 28 fast-break points. Team USA recorded 27 steals in its three pool play matches.
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In France, the opponents of the Americans are shooting merely 40% so far, while Germany fired 43%.
Only three of Team USA’s first twelve 3-point shots on Sunday were made after they entered the contest with a 26% Olympic 3-point shooting percentage. However, the Americans soon gained momentum and increased their lead, largely because of Young, who made five 3-pointers while coming off the bench. Kahleah Copper scored two more long-range goals.
Germany was led by WNBA player Satou Sabally, who scored 15 points. With an average of 25 points per game going into Sunday’s action, she was the second-leading scorer in the Olympics.
The remaining quarterfinal matches pit Serbia against Australia, Belgium against Spain, and France vs Germany. In Friday’s semifinals, the winners of France vs Germany and Spain vs Belgium will square off. The winner of Serbia-Australia meets the winner of Nigeria-U.S.
