Wilson, Stewart lead USA past Belgium in tough battle

Yahoo Sports women’s basketball analyst Isis ‘Ice’ Young recaps the Americans’ 87-74 victory that was a closer call than many expected.

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Video Transcript

Well, the US women’s basketball team gets another win in group play to advance to the quarterfinals.

A win over Belgium 87 to 74.

And y’all, it was close.

I mean, a credit to Belgium.

I thought that they came out with tremendous energy and grit and physicality.

It almost seemed like their whole game plan was really just to rough up the Americans and hope they would cough up the basketball.

But there’s two things that are abundantly clear in watching USA women’s ba basketball compared to the rest of the teams in the Olympics.

The pairing of Asia Wilson and Breanna Stewart is dynamite.

It’s dangerous those two with back to back 20 point games, they combined for 49 points for the USA.

That’s more than half of their points.

And then the second thing, the depth of the United States when you can bring in Alyssa Thomas off the bench.

Kelsey Plum, uh Sabrina Jane, I just felt like, like those players really did a good job of playing both sides of the basketball in today’s win for USA.

Now on the downside too many turnovers for the US in the first half.

This is really how Belgium was able to stay in the game.

A handful of turnovers given to Asia Wilson.

I feel like the USA wanted to get the ball to her so much.

But Belgium did a terrific job in packing the paint Breanna Stewart though Stewie was on the move in the first half, 15 points.

Now, second half, the USA starts to figure out a little bit more.

But Emma Meiman for Belgium lights out.

She was the 2019 WB AM VP in the finals and is a two time WB a all star.

But for Belgium, she dropped 24 points on 11 of 19 shooting, she seemed to be their main hope in scoring the basketball but the USA again with their depth and their dominance and their pace just continued to come at Belgium USA really picked up their intensity when they got out and scored in transition when they were able to knock down some outside shots.

And then that opened up the lane for them to score the last five minutes of the game.

It seemed as Belgium was just exhausted and tired and they were worn down, which really allowed the USA to push forward and clinch their 57th win in a row.

They booked their ticket to the quarterfinals.

All is good in USA women’s basketball.

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