Team USA bounced back from their WNBA All-Star Game defeat on Tuesday, dominating Germany 84-57 at the USA Basketball Showcase in London.
A’ja Wilson led the team with 19 points and 14 rebounds in the win, while Breanna Stewart added 15 points. Wilson is now averaging 16.5 points per game, tying Cheryl Miller for the highest in team history.
Team USA raises their game
Team USA is still building chemistry after spending a little over a week together, working on weaknesses highlighted in their previous loss to Team WNBA. The team showed improved cohesion in London with the return of Napheesa Collier to the starting lineup after recovering from a plantar fascia injury. Bench players like Jewell Loyd, Alyssa Thomas, and Jackie Young made valuable contributions to coach Cheryl Reeve’s rotations.
Brittney Griner, returning to Europe for the first time since her 2022 detainment in Russia, did not play for load management reasons. Germany’s Satou Sabally returned to the court after recovering from an injury, preparing for their Olympic debut in Paris.
“It was refreshing to leave the All-Star atmosphere and focus on winning here,” said Sabrina Ionescu after the London Showcase.
All eyes are on gold
USA Basketball is showing improvement, but the short timeframe before Paris could pose a challenge as the team aims to peak during the tournament. “It’s a tune-up game. We don’t want to peak too soon,” Stewart commented.
What’s next for Team USA?
Team USA will kick off their Olympic group stage with a game against Japan on July 29th, followed by a tough matchup against Belgium on August 1st. They will face Germany once more in their group stage finale on August 4th.
