USA Wins Silver Medal at 2023 FIBA Women's AmeriCup

10 July 2023

USA 58, BRA 69

The USA won the silver medal at the 2023 FIBA Women's AmeriCup after falling to Brazil 69-58 on Sunday night in Leon, Mexico. Rickea Jackson was named to the 2023 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup All-Star Five.

The United States played its sixth overall gold medal game. The USA moved to 4-2 all-time in gold medal games and won a second AmeriCup silver medal (1997). The USA and Brazil faced off for the third time in a championship game, previously splitting the title games in 1993 (USA) and 1997 (Brazil).

The United States and Brazil played for the ninth time in FIBA Americas competition and for the second this week. Brazil has an all-time series edge of 6-3 and also won the July 4 Group A matchup 67-54.

Since the event’s inception in 1989, the United States has captured four Women’s AmeriCup gold medals, including titles in 2019 and 2021, and two silver.

View the USA-Brazil box score here.

TEAM NOTES

Historically Speaking: The U.S. now has a 3-6 record against Brazil and is 35-9 overall at the Women’s AmeriCup.

A Game of Runs: Throughout the first half, both teams strung together scoring runs, only to be answered by the opposing squad. Brazil was up 8-2 with 6:00 to play in the first quarter until the U.S. went on an 8-0 run through the 2:40 mark to tie the game at 10. The U.S. would build a 19-14 advantage early in the second quarter. Brazil responded to take a 22-19 lead with 6:05 to go in the first half. The United States would lead again by as many as six – 33-27 – before the halftime tally became 37-35 USA on a Jackson 2-pointer as time expired. However, Brazil took control in the third quarter, outscoring the United States 25-10 to take a 60-47 lead into the fourth quarter.

We the Free: The U.S. led the AmeriCup in free throws made and attempted (172 total, 24.6 FTA per game). In Sunday’s final, they hit 13-of-20 (.650%) from the line, including 11-of-15 (.733%) in the first half, which accounted for 29.7% of the team’s points.

Deep Dive: The two strongest benches of the competition met in the final. The USA bench scored 222 points (33.1 bench ppg), making it the second-highest scoring bench in the competition behind Brazil (36.0, 252 in seven games). In the gold medal game, the USA’s bench contributed 22 points (33.1 bench ppg).

Grab It: The U.S. was the top rebounding team at the AmeriCup with 399 total rebounds and 57.0 rebounds per game. The 2023 squad set a USA AmeriCup record for total rebounds, breaking the mark set in 2021 (397 rebounds, 57.8 rpg).

PLAYER NOTES

Fire in the Hole: Jackson started the gold medal game right where she left off in the fourth quarter of the semifinal, hitting key shots and helping make the USA’s offense go. Jackson recorded her first double-digit quarter of the week, hitting 10 points (5-6 FG) as the first quarter buzzer sounded, giving her team the 16-14 lead. The second quarter ended the same way as the first, with Jackson beating the buzzer to give the USA a 37-35 edge while scoring her 17th point of the half.

With 22 points for the game, Jackson was the first American to score 20 points this week. Rhyne Howard last scored 22 in the 2021 AmeriCup final vs. Puerto Rico.

Jackson closes the AmeriCup as USA’s leading scorer (14.6 ppg). Her 102 points for the week are the second-most in USA AmeriCup history behind Lisa Leslie (129, 7 games, 1993).

Betts on the Block: With 14 blocks going into the final, Lauren Betts broke the previous USA record of 11 set by Aliyah Boston (2021). Betts had 3+ blocks in four games and set the USA single-game record of four in the quarterfinal vs. Colombia (7/7/23). She added one today for a total of 15 in the competition.

Statistically Speaking: Additionally, Betts averaged a double-double with 11.4 points and 10.9 rebounds through seven contests to become the first U.S. player to average a double-double at the AmeriCup. She and Angel Reese are the first Americans to average 10+ rebounds at the AmeriCup.

Reese was just shy of a double-double with 8.3 points and a team-best 11.1 rebounds.

Reese (78) and Betts (76) were the top two rebounders at the tournament. The two combined for 154 rebounds in seven games, the most combined by two Americans in AmeriCup history (Venus Lacey (60)/Medina Dixon (52), 112 total, 1989; Aliyah Boston (56)/Elissa Cunane (48), 104 total, 2021).