VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France — Group USA coach Cheryl Reeve is not any stranger to dynasties. From 2011 to 2017, her Minnesota Lynx received 4 WNBA championships. And throughout the 2016 Olympic Video games in Rio, the place Reeve was an assistant, 4 of her gamers performed key roles for the gold medal squad.
So, it’s most likely a fairly comforting — and in a approach, a well-recognized — feeling for Reeve to look down her bench now in France and see 4 starters for the Las Vegas Aces, the defending two-time WNBA champs.
Sunday evening, it was a core from probably the most dominant WNBA workforce in latest reminiscence — go determine — that propelled Group USA to an 87-68 win over Germany within the workforce’s last group stage recreation.
By means of the primary quarter-hour, the sport was fairly even (Germany even led after the primary quarter), however halfway by way of the second quarter — only a minute after Group USA took its first lead of the sport with an Alyssa Thomas layup — Reeve re-inserted A’ja Wilson onto the ground, the place she joined Aces guards Kelsey Plum and Jackie Younger. With the Aces core on the ground, Group USA closed out the primary half on a 17-7 run.
Once more, within the third quarter, halfway by way of, a Plum-Younger substitution (with Wilson already on the ground) spelled instantaneous offensive vitality for Group USA because the squad — which had allowed Germany to chop its result in 10 — ended the third quarter on a 20-7 run.
It was a very efficient evening for Younger, who completed with a team-high 19 factors on 7-of-13 capturing, together with 5-of-8 from behind the arc. By means of the primary two video games, Younger had performed a complete of simply greater than 20 minutes and tried just one shot — a 3-pointer towards Japan within the opener. Her success from behind the arc is very important for Group USA contemplating the group has struggled from vary by way of the event, excluding Younger’s efficiency towards Germany, Group USA shot simply 23.6 % from past the arc by way of the group stage video games.
Geno Auriemma, head coach of the 2016 workforce that featured 4 Lynx gamers, is aware of the advantages of the chemistry Group USA is at present having fun with with its Aces.
“Anytime you’ve gotten a gaggle of gamers who’ve performed collectively and received collectively and have nice chemistry it’s invaluable to a coach and as to a workforce that doesn’t have a lot follow time to organize,” he mentioned. “As people Sylvia Fowles, Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore and Lindsay Whalen have been simply unbelievable to be with.”
Group USA completed group play with a 3-0 report. With Australia spoiling the host nation’s hopes for an undefeated run, the U.S. will enter knockout play because the No. 1 seed. Group USA’s quarterfinal recreation is Wednesday, persevering with their quest for an eighth straight Olympic gold medal relationship again to the Barcelona 1992 Video games.
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(Picture: Jesse D. Garrabrant / Getty Pictures)
