By O2 Arena, London
CNN
—
The USA’s women’s basketball team finalized preparations for Paris 2024 with a resounding 84-57 victory over Germany at the Basketball Showcase in London.
It was far from a vintage USA performance – the first half in particular was below the lofty standards the team has set over the years – but it’s an ominous sign for rivals at the upcoming Games that this group’s absurd star power can cruise to a 27-point win without leaving second gear.
“It’s all about progression,” five-time Olympic champion Diana Taurasi told CNN Sport after the game. “It’s all about getting a little bit better every time we get on the court. Today, obviously, we faced a German team that we’ll see at the Olympics.
“They’re a fabulous team; the Saballys [sisters Satou and Nyara] and they have WNBA players and a great coach that led Team Canada to great success, so we know every game is difficult. You look at our [Olympic] group play, all those teams have had great success.
“We found a little confidence today, a little more continuity between us offensively and defensively, so it was a step in the right direction.”
Early three-pointers from Taurasi and Breanna Stewart set the tone for a lopsided first quarter in which Germany mustered just nine points on a paltry 21.1% shooting.
A’ja Wilson, who drew the loudest cheer from the crowd when the players were introduced, was assertive and dominant from tip-off. The two-time WNBA MVP had eight early points – to go with six rebounds and an assist – to almost match Germany’s total as a team in an electric opening quarter.
As a collective, however, the USA continued to look somewhat rusty, likely a product of having less than a handful of practice sessions together before touching down in London.
This is a team still learning to play together each time the players step onto the court.
At times, it felt as though the USA was forcing up shots that simply weren’t there, contributing to a lowly 39.5% shooting from the floor in the first half.
But the team’s ball movement was much improved against the Germans throughout, with the USA finishing the game with 27 assists and 10 players on the scoresheet.
On Saturday, the USA suffered a 117-109 defeat to the WNBA All-Stars – the second in a row after also losing ahead of the Olympics in 2021 – as Arike Ogunbowale, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, who was in attendance in London, ran the show.
Fortunately for the USA, though, this Germany roster is no All-Star team and a 44-32 halftime lead quickly ballooned to a 19-point advantage thanks to a 7-0 run to start the second half.
Even if this version of the USA arrives in Paris still figuring it out ahead of the opening game against Japan on Monday, it remains unlikely that any team at the Olympics will be able to cause an upset.
And while even the USA might not be able to match the strength and depth of a WNBA All-Star team, no national team in world comes close to the Americans’ talent level.
“Defensively, there are probably some things that we’ll see on film to clean up,” Taurasi added to CNN. “But you know what? They play basketball too, this is their life, their profession. They scout, they practice.
“You’re not going to be perfect in a game and certainly in the Olympics when it’s the best teams there, there are going to be ups and downs. As long as we stay together and we stick to our principles, we’ll be alright.”
Guard Alexis Peterson – who has represented the USA but naturalized for Germany ahead of the Games – drew several oohs and aahs from the crowd as her nifty handles dragged a number of defenders off-balance throughout the match.
While most expected WNBA sisters Satou and Nyara Sabally to cause the USA most problems, it was Luisa Geiselsöder of French team Basket Landes that stood out for the Germans, scoring a team-high 15 points on an efficient 7-of-11 shooting night.
The 24-year-old also notched six rebounds, an assist, a steal and two blocks.
To the Europeans’ credit, they continued to stick around and closed the gap back to 14 points to close the third quarter.
However, any hopes of an unlikely comeback were extinguished as Sabrina Ionescu bagged five quick points to begin the fourth quarter.
The crowd, though considerably smaller than it was for Saturday’s men’s game, was boisterous throughout. Wilson in particular appeared to be a fan favorite in the English capital and her fans were given quite a show as the Las Vegas Aces center finished with a game-high 19 points to go with 14 rebounds.
It was evident which aspect of the game head coach Cheryl Reeve had hammered into her players ahead of their arrival in London. When asked how the team can improve most ahead of Paris, Aces star Chelsea Gray said instantly: “Defensively.”
“We’re getting better each time,” she told CNN. “This was a better showing, especially defensively. Offensively, we’re building chemistry during games and that’s the way we like it.”
