A'ja Wilson leads Team USA with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks
Breanna Stewart adds 22 points to Team USA's total
Brittney Griner makes return with impressive performance of 11 points and nine rebounds
Japan connects on 15 of their 38 three-point attempts but unable to keep pace with Team USA's inside game
Team USA dominates rebounding with a total of 56 compared to Japan's 27
Team USA wins Olympic debut against Japan in women's basketball
The USA women's basketball team, led by stars such as A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, and Brittney Griner, kicked off their campaign for an eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal with a dominant win over Japan. In the opening game of group play on Monday in Lille, France, Team USA easily defeated Japan 102-76.
Wilson led the way for Team USA with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots. Stewart added 22 points to the team's total. Griner made her return to international play after being imprisoned in Russia and had an impressive performance with 11 points and nine rebounds.
The U.S., which has won seven straight Olympic gold medals in women's basketball, was overmatched by Team USA's size advantage. The Americans scooped up a total of 56 rebounds compared to Japan's 27, and dominated the offensive glass with 19 of their own missed shots.
Japan did manage to find some success from beyond the arc, connecting on 15 of their 38 three-point attempts. However, it was not enough to keep pace with Team USA's inside game.
Team USA will next face Belgium on Thursday as they continue their quest for an unprecedented eighth straight Olympic gold medal.
Brittney Griner made her return to international play after being imprisoned in Russia. She had 11 points and nine rebounds in her first game back.
Accuracy
The US women’s basketball team defeated Japan in the Olympics with a score of 102-76 or 102-76.
A’ja Wilson made 10 of her 16 shots for a total of 24 points and added 13 rebounds, including six offensive rebounds and four blocks or made 8 of her 13 shots for a total of 24 points and added 13 rebounds.
Brittney Griner made five of her seven shots for a total of eleven points and nine rebounds or made all six of her field goal attempts for a total of twelve points and eight rebounds.
Team USA had 34 assists in total during the game or Team USA had 35 assists in total during the game.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(95%)
No formal fallacies were found in the article. However, there are some implicit appeals to authority and a slight dichotomous depiction.
]The U.S. last saw the Japanese team in the gold-medal match at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.
]Brittney Griner... was sentenced to nine years in prison on drug charges.
]In December 2022, she was freed in a prisoner swap negotiated by the Biden administration.
Sue Bird Taurasi will be going for a record sixth gold medal in Paris.
A'ja Wilson is the star of the back-to-back champion Las Vegas Aces and favorite to win MVP this season.
Sabrina Ionescu, selected first overall in 2020 by New York, will be making her first Olympic appearance. She is a career 37% three-point shooter.
Kelsey Plum will also be making her debut in the backcourt with the Olympics roster. Though she won gold with the 3x3 team in Tokyo.
Napheessa Collier returns from the loaded front court that won gold at the last Olympics. She is a four-time All-Star for the Minnesota Lynx and was named MVP of the Commissioner’s Cup this season.
Brittney Griner, a Mercury center, has won gold in the last two Olympics, a national title at Baylor, and a WNBA championship in 2014. She has been an All-Star ten times.
Kelsey Thomas will give Team USA all-around production as she can gather up rebounds and assists quickly. She played her college ball at Maryland and is a five-time WNBA All-Star and consistent triple-double threat. This will be her first Olympics with the team.
Diana Taurasi, Kahleah Copper, and Chelsea Gray are experienced players from three different WNBA teams (Phoenix Mercury, Las Vegas Aces, and Los Angeles Sparks) joining Team USA for the Paris Olympics.
A'ja Wilson had 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots in the US women’s Olympic opening win against Japan.
Breanna Stewart scored 22 points as the US extended their Olympic winning streak to 56 games.
The US has won seven straight Olympic gold medals in women’s basketball and are chasing an eighth.
Accuracy
][The US women's basketball team has a record of 56-0 in the Olympics since 1992.][
A'ja Wilson had 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots in the US women's Olympic opening win against Japan.
The US last defeated Japan in the gold-medal match at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, winning with a score of 90-75.
Breanna Stewart made 11 of her 15 shots for a total of 22 points, plus eight rebounds and two blocks.
Brittney Griner made five of her seven shots for a total of eleven points and nine rebounds.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(95%)
No formal fallacies found in the author's statements. However, there are several instances of inflammatory rhetoric and appeals to authority. The article includes quotes from A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi that are presented as fact without additional analysis or context. Additionally, the article references past achievements of the US women's basketball team in a way that may be intended to inflame national pride or support for the team. The author also uses superlatives such as 'unprecedented' and 'unorthodox' which can be seen as inflammatory.
. . . the Americans chase an unprecedented eighth straight gold medal.
. . . they played this team for a gold medal, you know, not too long ago. And the way they play is unorthodox. They shoot a lot of threes. They're fast. They make you play in a different style.
The U.S., which won its Olympic opener as the Americans chase an unprecedented eighth straight gold medal.
