The U.S. women's basketball team secured an 84-57 victory over Germany in an exhibition game Tuesday night in London ahead of the Paris Olympics. The win comes as a morale booster following their unexpected loss to a team of WNBA All-Stars just days prior.
A’ja Wilson led the charge for the American squad, posting a double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds. The game began with Team USA quickly establishing dominance, racing to a 22-9 lead, scoring the first seven points of the contest. By the end of the first quarter, Team USA had built a 13-point advantage. Despite a brief comeback attempt by Germany, narrowing the gap to 27-20 midway through the second quarter, the U.S. team maintained control, leading 44-32 at halftime.
Breanna Stewart stressed the importance of maintaining consistency, particularly in the third quarter.
“We need to continue to make sure our starts in the third get better every single game,” Stewart said. “It’s a tuneup game. We don’t want to peak too soon.”
Team USA started the second half with a seven-point run, effectively quelling any potential comeback from Germany.
“It was a breath of fresh air to get out of All-Star and come here, there’s one goal and it’s to win,” said U.S. guard Sabrina Ionescu.
Loss to Team WNBA in All-Star Game shows area of improvement for Team USA
Germany, set to make their first Olympic appearance, struggled to keep up with the seasoned American team. Luisa Geiselsoder was the standout for the German squad, scoring 13 points. Despite their efforts, Germany could not match the depth and experience of the U.S. team, who were missing the presence of Brittney Griner. Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was resting, marking her first trip overseas since her high-profile detainment and subsequent release from Russia.
The exhibition match in London served as a preparatory test for both teams, who will face each other again in the Olympic pool stage on Aug. 4. Team USA’s recent loss to the WNBA All-Stars on July 20, where they were defeated 117-109, had highlighted areas for improvement.
A’ja Wilson acknowledged the significance of the challenge. “We are not going to press the panic button right now,” Wilson said after the All-Star Game loss. “We needed the test.”
Members of the U.S. men's Olympic team were present courtside on Tuesday for the women's game against Germany, having recently secured a narrow 92-88 victory over Germany on Monday in their own exhibition match.
The team remains focused on their goal: continuing their Olympic streak of gold medals, a run they have maintained since 1992. Team USA's journey to Paris will officially begin on July 29, where they will compete in group play against Japan., followed by Belgium on Aug. 1.
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