Team USA, a new squad that includes eight players who have never played in a World Cup, continued its dominance at the FIBA World Cup with an 83-43 victory over Team Canada. The win not only advanced Team USA to the World Cup Championship, but also:
- U.S. wins 29th game in expansion, setting record for most consecutive games
- Became the first team to hold an opponent to 50 points or less in a World Cup semi-final
- Recorded the largest point difference (40 points) in a World Cup semifinal
Canada sits fourth in the FIBA World Rankings, but soon fell victim to another onslaught from Team USA in this year’s Cup.
After a disappointing performance against Serbia on Thursday — falling behind in the first and second quarters for the first time in the tournament — Team USA’s starters came out with a chip on their shoulder. A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Jewel Lloyd, Chelsea Gray and Alyssa Thomas opened the game on a 15-0 run that held Canada to just seven points in the first quarter.
“I think we weren’t happy with the way we started yesterday against Serbia,” Breanna Stewart said. According to ESPN,. “There were moments when we did well, but there were also moments when we didn’t, and that was the point we emphasized today. Especially the way we started the game with five players, with the starting lineup, we focused on setting the tone for the whole game.”
Draymond layup package!? High off the glass. (via @nba) pic.twitter.com/tR0g1jE6PE
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) September 30, 2022
Team USA followed their starter’s lead and focused on defense, holding Canada to eight points and 22% shooting from the field in the third quarter. The explosive trio of Stewart (17 points), A’ja Wilson (15 points, 12 rebounds) and Kelsey Plum (14 points) outscored Canada 46-43.
“I was really pleased with the attention to detail our team had in the scouting report. Canada had a great tournament,” coach Cheryl Reeve said. “I wanted them to understand what they just did and see how hard Canada worked to score the ball… It was a quality win for us. Our goal is to win gold, and we’re in a position to do that.”
The women’s national team will compete for the gold medal against China on Saturday at 2 a.m. ET. Team USA won its group match against China 77-63. They are looking to win their fourth consecutive World Cup title.
