US women hoops rout Senegal 121-56 in record fashi
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On cruise control from the opening tipoff, the US never felt the need to shift into top gear, speeding to a 35-9 lead in the opening quarter and pulling away.
The extent to which the depth of talent manifested itself as a strategic advantage can be gleaned from this stat: every USA Basketball player scored with the exception of starting point guard Sue Bird-in the first half.
Geno Auriemma, head coach of the US women's team, told VOA he was not wasting any time or energy thinking about those issues.
The Americans' 65-point margin of victory was also an Olympic record - and it could have been worse. Auriemma has the players to win a physical game, or a high-scoring one; this team can run-and-gun, shoot 3s and excel in half-court sets.
"We are pushing each other", she said.
All 12 members of the United States line-up hit the scoreboard, seven recording double figures led by 15-point efforts from Taurasi, Sylvia Fowles and Breanna Stewart.
Bigs dominated through the second half as Team USA built onto a 94-38 lead.
The Americans should get a tougher test against Spain on Monday at 11:00 a.m. ET.
"It was just one of those articles where they came into my home, spent a couple days with me, and [fiancee] Amanda [Clifton] is a huge part of my life", Delle Donne, a Chicago Sky star, told reporters in Rio, according to ESPNW.
Offensively, she added, the team's timing and rhythm aren't where she'd like them to be. I haven't necessarily got the breakdown of all the teams. She finished on the offensive end easily as well, putting up relatively uncontested layups. Griner put up 14 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. It's good to get the jitters out. Delle Donne had 11 points, six assists, and two steals against Senegal. Griner should continue to see this amount of time on the floor as long as she avoids foul trouble.
Other than the mild surprise of seeing center Brittney Griner in the starting lineup - she hadn't started a game for the US team during its four-game Olympic tour - coach Geno Auriemma basically used this game as a soft rollout, a chance to let everyone get a little bit of playing time. Stewart hit a three to set the single-game record for points scored by a team. She finished with 15 points.
The team's five consecutive Olympic gold medals is a record for women's team sports in the games, and they're looking to rewrite history again in Rio.