Team Effort Leads USA Women Past Germany and to Top Group C Spot

04 August 2024

USA 87, Germany 68

View the USA-Germany box score here.

Sunday’s match-up was the first between the USA and Germany at the Olympic Games. The teams’ first meeting at the senior level came just over a week ago at the USA Basketball Showcase in London with the USA prevailing, 84-57.

The USA will now prepare for the quarterfinals, set for Wednesday, Aug. 7 at Bercy Arena in Paris. The draw to finalize quarterfinal pairings will take place later Sunday night.

The U.S. extended their record Olympic win streak to 58 games since 1996.

Starting Out: For the fourth straight game, head coach Cheryl Reeve started Chelsea Gray, Diana Taurasi, Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson. The starters combined for 35 points.

Let’s Get it Started: After trailing 16-19 after one quarter, the USA put their foot on the gas in the second. With an 11-0 run, the Americans flipped a two-point lead (26-24) with 5:32 on the clock to a 13-point lead (37-24) with just under two minutes left to play in the half. The team outscored Germany by 15 points (25-10) in the second frame, marking its largest point-difference in a single quarter thus far.

The Germans did draw the deficit to single digits on an Alexis Peterson layup with 4:38 to play. From that point though, the U.S. pushed back with a 20-5 run to end the third quarter with a 69-46 lead.

Dazzling Depth: The USA showed off their depth throughout the game. The American bench totaled 52 points to Germany's 13 by the end of the contest. Tonight was the USA’s first game with 50+ bench points. The unit was led by Alyssa Thomas, Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum, who recorded a +29, +26 and +26 plus/minus efficiency, respectively.

Merci Beaucoup: The red, white and blue ratcheted up the defense in their final group play game. The team forced 23 German turnovers and grabbed 12 steals. The U.S. forced a combined 24 turnovers through the first two contests.

Jackie’s Jumper: Young shot the lights out for the U.S. After scoring 5 points in the opening half, she contributed 14 in the second half to finish with a game-best 19 points (7-13 FG, 5-8 3FG), four rebounds and a game-high 4 steals in 27:18.

With five 3-pointers made, she became the first U.S. player to hit 5+ 3s in a game since Taurasi made 6 against Serbia int he 2016 Olympic Games. Additionally, her 4 steals are the most in a game for a U.S. player since Maya Moore swiped 4 against China in 2016.

Stew Cookin: Stewart was a problem for the opposition again, making her impact felt early and often. She finished with 13 points (6-11 FG), 11 of which being scored in the first two quarters, and 3 rebounds in 16:42.

Wilson’s World: Wilson was a force on defense for the USA with her second-straight game with three steals. She also registered a team-high-tying two blocks to go along with 14 points (6-11 FG) and three rebounds in 24:17.

Phee-ning For More: Collier provided a steady presence around the basket and had her best all-around game at the Olympics. She finished with eight points (4-7 FG), a team-high seven rebounds, two steals and a team-high-tying two blocks.