Team USA made a change. Yes, the team with a +58 point differential in group play still felt like there was room to improve. They reaped the benefits of that change – swapping Diana Taurasi for Jackie Young in the starting lineup – and defeated Nigeria by a final score of 88-74.
The first three quarters were dominated by Team USA, but Nigeria won the fourth 26-12. Despite that slump in scoring in the final frame, it was a wire to wire win and it sealed Team USA’s trip to the semifinals versus Australia.
Box Score at a Glance
It was more of the same greatness from A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart in this contest, but both were well supported by Young. Young scored 15 points, grabbed three boards, and dished out two assists in her first start of the Olympics. Wilson collected another double double with 20 points and 10 boards, while Stewart added 13 points and six boards.
It was another quiet game from Napheesa Collier, though, who put together six points, five boards, and three assists. However, it isn’t completely necessary for her to be as dominant of a scorer in these games with Wilson and Stewart on the floor. Grabbing boards is key for the entire time, and with her doing that with consistency, she’s making a positive impact.
On the glass, Team USA dominated again, grabbing 43 rebounds to Nigeria’s 28. With a frontcourt of Wilson, Stewart, and Collier starting, plus a bench featuring Alyssa Thomas and Brittney Griner, it’ll be hard for any team to match up with respect to rebounding.
While I believe the fourth really skewed this, Team USA seemed to regress back to their earlier Olympics three point shooting. They hit just six of their 23 attempts from deep. But again, the fourth quarter was cold for everyone on the floor from long range, and it ultimately made no difference given how large the lead was headed into the final quarter.
Young & Thomas’ Impact
Two players that perhaps weren’t big priorities in this Cheryl Reave-constructed rotation headed into the Olympics were Young and Thomas. Yet, you can argue that they’ve had the biggest impact on this teams’ ability to gain separation in scoring on their opponents since being inserted into the regular rotation by Reave.
With Thomas, the team is gaining a dogged rebounder who is helping them to get a ton of second chance points. With Young, the team is adding a much stronger perimeter defender alongside Chelsea Gray and a faster guard that keeps defenses honest. Diana Taurasi looked perfectly fine off the bench this afternoon, and the speed of play with the second unit fits her style much better.
Kahleah Copper Minutes
Copper has been having a stellar year with the Phoenix Mercury, averaging 23.3 points per game (PPG) along with 4.5 rebounds per game (RPG). But, she’s having a hard time cracking minutes in this Team USA rotation. Granted, she’s been cold as of late when she has been inserted into late game situations, but she also isn’t getting an opportunity to establish rhythm. I think that’s huge to her game and her scoring ability.
Again, though, with the team 4-0 so far and seemingly rolling to the finals, it’s not the end of the world that Copper has been getting limited minutes on the squad. But, with how versatile she is as a scorer, it’d be great to see her inserted with minutes alongside passers like Gray, Ionescu, or Thomas more often.
Next Game – Australia
Australia will be the next team to try and finally keep things close with Team USA. Australia defeated Serbia earlier today behind some excellent scoring from the Minnesota Lynx’s very own Alanna Smith, and with some assistance from other familiar current and former WNBA players such as Cayla George, Jade Melbourne, and Sami Whitcomb. Ezi Magbegor, the Seattle Storms’ starting center, will look to offer a challenge to Wilson and Stewart in the post on Friday when the two teams clash, with a trip to the gold medal game on the line.
