Team USA is ready to chase its eighth straight gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, featuring a lineup of WNBA superstars.
Key players include reigning WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart from the New York Liberty, former MVP A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces, Liberty All-Star Sabrina Ionescu, and Phoenix Mercury’s All-Star center Brittney Griner, among others.
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In their Olympic debut on Monday, Team USA showcased their dominance against Japan, winning 102-76. This victory highlighted the U.S. team’s incredible skills and teamwork.
A’ja Wilson was a standout, finishing the game with 24 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, and four blocks, proving once again why she’s a top player in the league.
Wilson’s performance was impressive, but Breanna Stewart wasn’t far behind, contributing 22 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and three blocks.
Three players—Kelsey Plum, Sabrina Ionescu, and Brittney Griner—each scored 11 points. Plum added three assists, Ionescu had five assists, and Griner also contributed with three assists and a block.
The team worked well together, outscoring Japan in every quarter. The closest Japan got was in the second quarter, where they scored 24 points to the U.S.’s 28. Japan also performed admirably in the fourth quarter, scoring 19 points—but the game was already well in hand by that time.
Looking ahead, Team USA will need to maintain their high performance against Belgium, which is ranked among the top three teams in this year’s Olympics. Interestingly, Belgium lost their first match to Germany 83-69, despite solid efforts from Emma Meesseman, who scored 25 points, Julie Vanloo with 18 points, and Kyara Linskens with 12. This loss shows that Belgium remains a competitive and skilled team.
Team USA will face Belgium on August 1, followed by a matchup against Germany on August 4.
With such a strong start against Japan, hopes are high for Team USA to secure another gold medal in basketball.