The U.S. women’s basketball team’s quest for an eighth straight gold medal got off to a strong start Monday at the Paris Olympics.
Team USA made quick and easy work of Japan, winning 102-76 to open group play. Leading the way was a relatively overpowered frontcourt of Breanna Stewart and Ajah Wilson — combining for 46 points on 21-of-31 shooting. Brittney Griner, Kelsey Plum and Sabrina Ionescu each added 11 points, while Chelsea Gray dished out 13 assists.
Japan were outplayed from the opening tip. America’s scale advantages were evident. USA had 56 rebounds, Japan had 27. The U.S. was particularly dominant on the offensive glass, committing 19 of its 35 fouls. It was Japan who had more offensive rebounds than defensive rebounds. The law office of Wilson, Griner and Stewart put together 30 boards — more than the entire Japan team combined.
The Japanese did their best to hang around. Maki Takata was a flamethrower off the bench, making 10 of 11 shots for 24 points. Mai Yamamoto paced Japan’s starters with 17 points, shooting 5-of-11 from 3-point range. The 3-point arc was the only place Japan had success on Monday. It connected on 15 of 38 from deep, which kept the game within shouting distance for about 20 minutes.
If America has a problem, it’s its outdoor shooting. States shot just 4 of 20 from beyond the arc, but it didn’t matter. More importantly, the U.S. shot 38 of 57 on 2-pointers, a blistering 66.7%. The offensive game plan was incredibly simple: get the ball in the paint, shoot fewer defenders and rebound if you miss. Japan was in such a deficit that it didn’t matter, it was +33 from 3-point range.
For all the talk leading up to games about the squad’s exits, Monday’s game was a reminder of just how much talent is in the squad in Paris. America is loaded, and it will be difficult to keep up with the competition.
