Beginning their quest for an eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal, Team USA opened up the Paris 2024 Games by demolishing Japan 102-76 on Monday in France.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Continuing to be a dynamic duo since becoming teammates, A’ja Wilson recorded a double-double (24 points, 13 rebounds) and Breanna Stewart posted 22 points for Team USA (1-0). The two American superstars also dominated in the pre-Olympic exhibition vs. Germany on July 23, with Wilson finishing with 17 points and 14 rebounds while Stewart had 15 points.
Off the bench, Maki Takada scored 24 points for Japan (0-1). Mai Yamamoto ended with 17 and Saori Miyazaki tagged on 12 in the blowout loss.
USA take advantage of size differential, Japan stood no chance
In the opening stages of the game, both teams were struggling to score early before Wilson got into a groove with six points. From the score being tied 4-4, that was as close as Japan was going to get to the United States.
The second quarter was heavily contested as neither team could break away from the other. Depending on their 3-point shooting, Japan shot 9-for-22 (40.9) from three, but it was the Americans who went into halftime with a 50-39 lead.
With Japan’s tallest player being Takada at 6-foot-1 and nine players 5-foot-8 or under, Team USA used the size discrepancy to their advantage by leading in rebounds 30-14 and having five blocks in the first half. Wilson already had 17 points and Chelsea Gray amassed 10 rebounds at that stage and even though the Japanese were down by double digits, Yamamoto still was able to muster 11 points in the half.
From there on, the U.S. showcased their star power as they outscored Japan 52-37 despite battling through 3-point woes, going just 4-for-20 (20%) in the game. With zero points to start, Sabrina Ionescu subbed in and notched 11 points in the second half.
Ionescu, Brittney Griner and Kelsey Plum all netted 11 points each off the United States’ bench and Gray wound up with 13 rebounds. While Japan was down by a wide margin, Takada was able to get 21 points in the second half.
Team USA was 42-for-77 (54.5%) from the field and Japan was 28-for-74 (37.8%). The Americans outrebounded the Japanese 56-27, had 11 blocks and both teams turned the ball over 12 times each.
This victory marked the 56th straight win by the United States, with the streak starting during the Barcelona 1992 Olympics.
Up next on Thursday, the Americans will face Belgium and Japan clash with Germany in Group C action.
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers ASU Athletics, the Phoenix Mercury and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
