US women extend Olympic win streak to 59 after beating Nigeria
The US women extend their Olympic winning streak to 59 games after beating Nigeria, 88-74, in the Paris Games basketball tournament.
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US WOMEN EXTEND OLYMPIC STREAK BEHIND WILSON, YOUNG OFFENSE
Furthermore, the US women extend their Olympic winning streak behind 20 points from A’ja Wilson and 15 from Jackie Young.
What their more popular male counterparts failed, Team USA’s women have sustained as they seek their eighth straight gold medal.
The American women haven’t lost in Olympic basketball play since the 1992 Barcelona Games.
That was the same Olympics where the famed “Dream Team” led by Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird led Team USA’s men to the gold.
Moreover, the loss ended Nigeria’s historic run, being the first African country to qualify for the Olympic basketball quarterfinals.
COACH REEVE’S LINEUP CHANGES WORKED WONDERS IN LATEST TEAM USA WIN
Team USA coach Cheryl Reeve’s lineup changes worked wonders in their squad’s latest win.
Reeve inserted Young into the starting lineup in place of veteran Diana Taurasi and the coach was aptly rewarded afterward.
“She (Young) is playing the way we want to play on both ends of the floor,” Reeve said.
“And it’s time to get to that space where we understand that if we don’t win, we go home,” she added.
Moreover, Reeve also noted the impressive play of Kelsey Plum who, like Young, stars with the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA.
Plum scored just six points but she was a plus-11.
She helped the Americans take a 19-point lead at the half.
“She’s a player that when her number’s called, she bounces off that bench, and she gets in there and she’s ready to help the basketball team,” the coach says of Plum.
TEAM USA COACH REMINDS NIGERIA OF ‘RESPECTFUL THING TO DO’ IN FINAL SECONDS
Meanwhile, the match ended with some edge.
Nigeria still scored in the final seconds with the final outcome already decided.
Team USA’s Kahleah Cooper was called for a technical foul.
She threw the ball at Nigeria’s Ezinne Kalu, who still scored in the waning moments.
“We dribbled out, took a turnover on the shot clock, so we expected that they (Nigeria) would then just dribble the clock out,” Reeve said.
“Apparently, their coach told Kalu to go ahead and go score,” she added.
Reeve told the Nigerians that such play “was probably not the most respectful thing to do at the end of the day.”
Team USA prepares for their semifinal match against Australia, with two more wins away from another gold.
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