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SAITAMA, Japan – The US women’s basketball team has won, as usual. It just wasn’t in the dominant way Americans are used to the Olympics.
The world’s highest ranked team’s winning streak is now 50 games and counts in Olympic competition. A’ja Wilson scored 19 points and picked up 13 rebounds on her Games debut as the Americans beat Nigeria 81-72 on Tuesday in the opener for both teams.
It was the first time a team has come close to the United States in single digits since a four-point victory over Russia in the 2004 Athens Games semifinals.
Sue Bird has competed in the last five Olympics and wasn’t too concerned about the final margin.
“You are talking about some of the greatest Olympic teams of all time,” she said of the previous ones who won by double digits. “I don’t know how many teams would beat this Rio team, the London team or the Beijing team. This team is still finding out. We will get there.”
The United States came to Tokyo after two rare exposure losses in Las Vegas earlier this month. The Americans also beat Nigeria by 31 points in this game.
Diana Taurasi, who was playing her first game in nearly a month after sustaining a hip injury, has made the last 33 of those wins to set a record for most games at the Olympics. She has shown no effect from the injury that ruled her out of the team’s three exhibition games in Las Vegas two weeks ago.
“It was nice to go out and compete with the squad for a bit,” said Taurasi, who injured her hip in early July. “Yeah, I felt pretty good. I hope it gets better day by day. As a group, I think we did some good things today, some things we need to work on. I think that overall it was a pretty good game for us. “
With a squad filled with former American college players, Nigeria took an 8-1 lead as the United States missed their first four shots and committed four turnovers. The Nigerians led 20-17 after a quarter and extended their lead to 25-20 before the United States took over.
The Americans have scored 23 straight points, the first four by Wilson – one of six newcomers to the American roster.
“It was good to be in the flow of things,” Wilson said. “I was really nervous, but then I had this moment where I was like, ‘I’m supposed to be here. “”
Breanna Stewart scored seven points in the game-changing flurry. The United States led 44-32 at halftime as Nigeria regrouped to score seven of the last eight points of the second quarter.
The United States extended their lead to 70-50 at the end of the third quarter on a 3-point Jewell Loyd who beat the buzzer. The Americans were leading 75-55 before Nigeria scored 12 straight points to drop them to eight with 3:19 remaining.
It’s as close as they would get,
Ezinne Kalu scored 16 to lead Nigeria.
“It’s a mixture of disappointment but also encouragement for us because we wanted pace, and I think we got it towards the end,” said Nigeria’s Adaora Elonu. “So if we can continue for the next game that will be good. But I think it’s good that we have it under the 10 because here in this tournament all points count.”
ADVICE
The United States also has the second longest Olympic winning streak with 15 consecutive wins. … The turnover tormented the Americans, who committed 12 in the first half and 25 for the match. … Loyd, Skylar Diggins, Ariel Atkins, Chelsea Gray and Napheesa Collier joined Wilson as Olympians for the first time.
STRANGE STAT
The Nigerians had 18 more field goal attempts than the United States, but had six fewer shots.
LOOKING TO WIN
Nigeria were trying to become the first African country to win an Olympic women’s basketball competition since 2004, when the team scored 1-5 in Greece. No team from the continent has won a game since. There is hope that will change: Nigeria went 3-4 at the FIBA World Cup in 2018, falling to the United States in the quarter-finals.
NEXT
United States: against Japan on Friday.
Nigeria: faces France on Friday.
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