On July 30, in the women’s basketball group stage of the Paris Olympics, the United States women’s team defeated Japan 102-76, securing a strong start.
In this match, despite poor three-point shooting, the U.S. women’s team still took an early lead on the court by leveraging their advantage in the paint. However, they did not completely widen the gap in the first half, leading by only 11 points at halftime. In the second half, the U.S. continued to score from inside while Japan’s shooting accuracy dropped. Ionescu also hit consecutive three-pointers, making the outcome of the game a foregone conclusion.
The U.S. women’s team made only 4 out of 20 three-point attempts, with a three-point shooting percentage of just 20%. Yet, they still won by 26 points, primarily due to their dominance in the paint. In terms of rebounds, the U.S. women’s team had 49 compared to Japan’s 19, a difference of 30. They also had 16 offensive rebounds, which is quite remarkable. The starting frontcourt duo of Wilson and Stewart combined for 21 rebounds, more than Japan’s entire team.
Additionally, the U.S. women’s team recorded 11 blocks throughout the game, with Wilson contributing 4 and Stewart adding 3. If not for Japan’s good three-point shooting, the loss could have been even more severe.