The United States women’s basketball team cruised past Nigeria, 88-74, in the quarterfinal round of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Next up: a semifinal game against Australia as its march to the gold-medal game continues.
The Americans were led by several WNBA stars in a game that wasn’t close. A’ja Wilson led the U.S. in scoring with 20 points. Jackie Young scored 15 points. Breanna Stewart scored 13. Brittney Griner added 11 off the bench.
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Australia beat Serbia, 85-67, in its quarterfinal match Wednesday to set up a semifinal showdown with the favored U.S. team.
Team USA has won 59 consecutive women’s basketball games in Olympic competition. The streak began during the 1996 Games in Atlanta. With two more victories in Paris, the Americans will win their eighth consecutive gold medal.
The U.S. had beaten Nigeria, 100-46, in the Olympic qualifying tournament. Wednesday’s game was much closer.
Leading by four points in the first half, Kelsey Plum contributed three assists and a three-pointer in a short span to help change the game’s momentum.
“We’ve been playing around with some rotations, and Plum was very patient as we worked through some of that and she’s kind of found her way when she gets her minutes,” coach Cheryl Reeve told ESPN. “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.”
When the United States closed the first half on a 21-6 run, the game was never within reach again.
The U.S. held the edge in rebounding, 44-28. It made 54 percent of its field goals to Nigeria’s 41.
One day after the Serbian men’s team beat Australia, the Australian women got revenge.
Alanna Smith scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the Australians’ 85-67 victory.
France and Belgium will compete in the other women’s semifinal on Friday.
The gold medal game is Sunday in Paris. Although the Americans are seen as a shoo-in for the game, Reeve’s team is saying all the right things publicly — and playing like a team on a mission.
“We can’t take anything for granted,” Sabrina Ionescu said of her team’s first elimination game. “Now it’s win or go home. We are going to get every team’s best shot. We have a target on our backs, but that is going to continue to make us better.”
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