VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France — This was always going to be the biggest test in Team USA’s Olympic group play.
There was too much talent. Too much familiarity. Too much on the line.
Team USA and Belgium know each other well. The two faced off in Belgium during the Olympic qualifiers in February. Team USA was without A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray and Brittney Griner in that game but the Americans still won 81-79 (also, notably, the Belgians were without center Kyara Linskens, who had eight points and five rebounds Thursday night). And beyond that, Team USA assistant coach Mike Thibault, the Washington mystics GM, had gotten Belgian guard Julie Vanloo (11 points, five rebounds) to come to the WNBA this season and he had coached forward Emma Meesseman (24 points, three rebounds) with the Mystics, most notably, during her 2019 WNBA Finals MVP season.
Like that game in Belgium, this one — just 10 miles from the Belgian border — had a crowd full of Belgian supporters who were loud from before the game began until the final buzzer. After dropping their Olympic opener to Germany on Monday, the Belgians were hungry for a win.
And ultimately, also like that game, Team USA came away with the 87-74 win. While Belgium had runs to cut into the Americans’ lead, ultimately Team USA wore down its opponent, and in the final quarter, it outscored Belgium 27-21.
Breanna Stewart is showing EXACTLY why she’s one of the best players in the world. 😤 #ParisOlympics
📺 USA Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/XMjNyHvNVl
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 1, 2024
As has come to be expected with this group, A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart were the fulcrums around which everything successful functioned — the duo combined for 49 points and 20 rebounds. But, coach Cheryl Reeve also opted to use larger lineups through the entire game. For 40 minutes, at least three spots on the floor were always occupied by either Wilson, Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Brittney Griner or Alyssa Thomas. And through the first half, those players accounted for 39 of the team’s 46 points.
With the win, Team USA advances to 2-0 in group play with its final game against Germany on Sunday.
This story will be updated.
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(Photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)
