 |
| UConn
legend Sue Bird of the Seattle
Storm had seven of Team USA's 28 assists, including this no-look pass to Kelsey Plum of the Las Vegas Aces. |
“Brazil sped us up a little bit to start the game,” said USA
co-coach Dan Hughes (Seattle Storm). “We were kind of getting in our own
way by turning the ball over a little bit. We really didn't get a normal flow
to start off. We did a much better job as the game went on of playing, seeing
the defense and making the appropriate play, and our players really adjusted.
“The turnovers (22)… we owned those a little bit, but you
have got to give Brazil credit,” he continued. “[Damiris] Dantas was very, very
good in the first half and really made us pay defensively.”
Sylvia Fowles (Minnesota Lynx/Louisiana State), who was
simply en fuego with a 10-for-11 performance
from the floor to go along with six rebounds, and Chelsea
Gray (Los Angeles Sparks/Duke), who drained 8-of-12 shots
including 4-of-5 from beyond the three-point arc, each accounted for 21 points,
while Nneka Ogwumike (Los Angeles Sparks/Stanford) added 11
points.
“Our bigs did a great job of battling, running up and down
the court and getting easy baskets,” said Gray. “There was a lot of post play
where they were passing post to post when the defense collapsed, which I think
is great. It was a great effort, great ‘D.’ Credit to Brazil, though. They were
fighting hard and making us really work for it.”Shooting an abysmal 5-of-17 from the floor in the first quarter, the USA trailed Brazil 15-10 when the horn ended the first stanza. Brazil opened the second quarter with a basket to push its advantage to 17-10, and the USA finally amped-up its defense and started connecting on shots.
Behind eight points from Gray, who tallied 11 points in the
second quarter, the USA outscored Brazil 14-3 to take a 24-20 lead with 4:52 remaining
in the half, and took a 33-31 lead into the locker room at intermission.
The U.S. shot a
blazing 75.0 percent (9-for-12) in the second stanza,
including a perfect 4-for-4 from beyond the arc.
“Our team really competed in the second half,” said Hughes. “Our
post players really played well with each other inside. Chelsea Gray was so
essential in this game because she was a key playmaker in both halves. Then,
you look inside at Sylvia [Fowles] and Nneka [Ogwumike], and especially in the
second half they really had energy that we played to. And then, when it started
getting close, we brought Sue Bird in, and that’s a pretty solidifying force to
bring into the game.”Leading 43-40 with 4:44 to play in the third stanza, Team USA got points from five different players and closed the period with an 11-3 run to take control of the contest, 54-43.
The U.S. built a 17-point advantage, 64-47, with 6:45 remaining
in regulation when Brazil mounted one last charge with a 9-0 run that cut the
deficit to eight, 64-56 with 4:17 to play.
Former UConn star Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx), the 2009 WNBA Rookie of the Year, ended
Brazil’s surge with a traditional three-point play with 3:55 remaining, and Team
USA went on to earn the 76-61 victory.
“It helped to have played Brazil last month at the AmeriCup,”
said Fowles, who helped hold Brazil to just 22 points in the paint. “We wanted
to take away all the things they did so well last month. So, coming in tonight
I wanted to limit all their post-play touches.”
The USA’s unselfish play, which resulted in 28 assists on 30
field goals and five non ‘and-one’ trips to the line, was led by Gray’s eight
and Sue Bird’s (Seattle Storm/Connecticut) seven dimes.
—Staff
Reports
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