Fresh off a loss to a team of WNBA All-Stars, USA women’s basketball got on track Tuesday in its only international warmup ahead of the Olympics.
Team USA cruised to an 84-57 win over Germany in London on its path to Paris. Up next, Japan in Olympic group play on Monday.
A’ja Wilson — the two-time WNBA MVP and a favorite to win her third this season — led the way with 19 points, 14 rebounds, two steals and two blocks in 25 minutes. She had a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds) at halftime and paced USA throughout the win.
Breanna Stewart added 15 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. Diana Taurasi, who will be competing in her sixth Olympics, finished with five points, two rebounds and two assists in 16 minutes as a starter. It wasn’t a particularly strong shooting effort by Team USA (41.7% from the field), but the U.S. limited Germany to 29.4% shooting and forced 17 German turnovers in the 40-minute game.
USA converted that defense into a dominant transition game while outscoring Germany, 25-5 in fast-break points.
USA seeks to maintain Olympic dominance in Paris
USA basketball will head to Paris seeking to maintain one of the most dominant runs in Olympics history. The U.S. women have won 55 straight Olympic contests en route to seven consecutive gold medals dating back to the 1996 Atlanta Games. Their last loss in the Olympics arrived at the 1992 Games in Barcelona, where they won bronze.
They’re odds-on favorites to secure gold again in Paris. There was little on Tuesday to indicate their status otherwise.
USA jumped out to a 22-9 first-quarter lead and carried a 44-32 lead into halftime. Germany — which features three WNBA players in Leonie Fiebich and sisters Satou Sabally and Nyara Sabally — never cut its deficit to single digits from there. Team USA kept the pressure on through the fourth quarter to secure the 27-point win.
The contest was a preview of a group-stage game in Paris. After taking on Japan, USA will face Belgium on Aug. 1 and then Germany again on Aug. 4 in its group-stage finale.