Like it did against Belgium, the U.S. women's basketball team got off to a slow start against Germany in its final group game on Sunday. And like it did against Belgium, it used some hellacious defense to turn the tide.
Team USA allowed just 10 points and forced eight turnovers in a momentum-shifting second quarter before catching fire in the second half en route to an 87-68 win at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, running its Olympic winning streak to a whopping 58 and sending it on to the knockout rounds on a high note.
Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson delivered again, combining for 27 points on 12-of-22 shooting. This time, however, they got plenty of help from the U.S. backcourt; Jackie Young led all scorers with 19, including 5-of-8 from deep, while Kahleah Copper added three 3s of her own as Team USA broke things open for good in the third quarter.
The U.S. has now clinched Group C along with the top overall ranking in group play — ensuring it will wind up on the opposite side of the bracket as the No. 2 overall team, likely to be France. The Americans now await their opponent in the quarterfinals, to be determined in a random draw at the conclusion of play on Sunday.
Here's a recap of all the action and the most important takeaways from a statement U.S. win.
U.S. 87, Germany 68: Full recap and key takeaways
Another bumpy start
Germany brings the sort of frontcourt size and strength that the U.S. rarely sees on the international stage, and it seemed to speed the Americans up a bit in a bumpy first quarter. The U.S. missed seven of its first nine shots including three turnovers, the last of which led to a Leonie Fiebich layup to stretch the lead to 15-6 and force a timeout from head coach Cheryl Reeve. Germany held a 19-16 lead at the end of the quarter, one in which Team USA shot just 9-of-23 and struggled to break down the German defense to generate quality half court looks.
Defense saves the day
Of course, you don't have to generate quality looks in the half court if you don't play in the half court. With its offense stuck in neutral, the U.S. defense decided to carry the load, putting the clamps down on Germany for arguably its most spectacular quarter of what's been a spectacular tournament so far.
The Germans had nearly as many turnovers (eight) as points (10) in the second, most of which led to easy buckets at the other end. And even when they didn't, the Americans seemed far more comfortable attacking a defense that wasn't fully set. Stewart and Wilson finally found a rhythm, scoring 11 of the team's final 15 points of the period, and by the time the halftime buzzer sounded the U.S. held a 41-29 lead and had regained complete control.
"The biggest thing for us is just being locked in on the defensive end and getting stops," Young said. "Coming out ready to go, and we know that whenever we get stops on the defensive end, we're able to get going in transition and playing at the pace we want to play at."
U.S. backcourt plays big
In its first two games in Paris, the U.S. had been largely a two-woman show, the offense funneling through Stewart and Wilson in the high post. Against Germany, however, they finally got some help — especially in the second half. Kelsey Plum went on a personal 6-0 run to stretch the U.S. lead midway through the third, while Young canned two 3s in a 90-second span as part of 10-0 run that turned a 13-point game into a 23-point rout entering the fourth.
For the first time all Olympics, Plum and Sabrina Ionescu really put their imprint on a game, consistently getting into compromising spots on the court and compiling 10 assists between them. A U.S. team that combines this level of defense with this balanced of an offense, one that can score from just about anywhere and play just about any style, will be awfully tough to beat as we look toward the knockout rounds.
What's next for the U.S. women's basketball team?
We know the U.S. will be playing in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, Aug. 6, and we know it'll likely have a favorable first-round matchup based on its performance in the group stage. What exactly that matchup will be, however, will have to wait until the draw is announced later Sunday afternoon.
"We came here to go to Paris [for the knockout stage], and that's the main goal," Wilson said. "I'm glad that we were able to do this. We're going to enjoy it, but we're not satisfied."