LILLE (France) - This was the best game of the tournament so far in front of an amazing crowd. Defending champions USA planted both feet in the Quarter-Finals of the Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament Paris 2024 after beating Belgium 87-74.
Played out in front of so many Belgian fans that it was like a home game for the Cats, USA had to work hard to move to 2-0, while their opponents hopes of progressing have been left hanging by the finest of threads.
Turning point
Belgium were hanging around and wouldn't go away with around 6 minutes remaining - even if they never truly looked like overhauling USA.
They were down by 7 and nothing was looking 100 percent secure, but USA posted a telling 7-0 burst and it was the point that they took control for the remainder of the game.
Game hero
Breanna Stewart came to play and was balling in a high gear in this one. Months after she tortured Belgium with a last second tip-in during the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, she came back to haunt them again. This time she finished with a stellar line of 26 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 rebounds.
As in the USA's opening win, it was A'ja Wilson who also demonstrated why she is MVP material with a monstrous 23 points and 13 rebounds.
Stats don't lie
USA used their physical prowess and frontcourt rotation to stitch up honors on the boards and out-rebounded Belgium by 48-28.
Bottom line
USA had to really push to finish the job and that was credit to Belgium. They always looked like being the team most likely to succeed and so it proved. Their extra depth was vital and once again, with a double act like Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson, they are looking like they will be super tough to overhaul in this competition.
Belgium won the heart of their hoards of fans once again with another strong display against USA. The shorter rotation was exposed a little and now they have one more chance to take the win that might or might not prove enough to sneak a Quarter-Finals place.
They said
"Since it has gone to three groups, it's tricky. You can't drop games and you have to play well, or it can get complicated. Yes, we've won a lot [over the years] but these moment are still hard. I remember in 2012 in London when we were 12 down to Australia going in at half-time for example. There are always some tough moments " USA guard, Diana Taurasi
"The fans were incredible. I think that is maybe the most beautiful thing any of us have realized. That basketball in Belgium is really big now and people are always behind us. Even during the national anthem people were singing and normally people from Belgium don't know it. They were singing it and it was beautiful." Belgium winger, Antonia Delaere.
Quick notes
- The USA extended their sequence of wins at the Olympics to 57 straight victories, with 55 of those being by more than 10 points. They have made 26 assists in tonight’s game and it’s the 11th occasion since the start of the 2016 tournament in which the USA have dished out 25 or more assists at the Olympics, while no other team have had more than four such games in that span. - Belgium allowed 87 points, the most for them in a game at the Olympics. On the other hand, they have dished out 22 assists against the USA: they have made 20+ assists in each of their six games at the Olympics. - Emma Meesseman (Belgium) has scored 24+ points in each of her six games at the Olympics – she is the first player to have scored 20 or more points in six consecutive games in the history of the competition. - With her 26 points in tonight’s game, Breanna Stewart has now a total of 203 points at the Olympics, becoming the eighth US player to have scored 200 or more points in the competition. This was her highest scoring game at the Olympics and the first time she had 20+ points in back-to-back games in the competition. - A’Ja Wilson has made more than 20 points and more than 10 rebounds for the second straight time in the Olympics 2024, after never doing it so in her eight games in the 2020 edition; she has now four double-doubles at the Olympics, the most of any USA player in the 21st century.
FIBA