PARIS — Americans played one electric quarter of basketball on Friday and that was more than enough to send them to the women’s gold medal game.
Jackie Young, A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart and Copper Kahleah all scored in double figures as the U.S. cruised to a 85-64 victory over Australia in a semifinal game at Bercy Arena.
The Americans, going for their eighth consecutive gold medal, will play Sunday at 3:30 p.m. local time against France in what will likely be the last competition of these Olympics. France rallied from a 15-point deficit to knock off Belgium, 81-75, in overtime.
In the day’s first semifinal, the U.S. jumped to an early 14-4 lead before the Australians’ outside game clicked and they got back into it for a few fleeting moments. That’s when the Americans threw it into gear, outscoring Australia, 25-11, in the second quarter and never looked back.
The Americans led by as much as 30 points and outscored Australia, 19-11, on points off turnovers.
The American women have U.S. and Serbian men to thank for their motivation to get out to an early lead.
Wilson and Stewart’s eyes popped wide when asked if they watched the United States having to rally for an improbable win a night before.
“My motivation is to not be in that situation,” Wilson said. “You start to put the game in a lot of different people’s hands and I don’t really like that. So for us, we’re always about just controlling our own destiny.”
Stewart was even more effusive in stating her desire to take care of business early.
“Oh yes I did, oh my gosh!” Stewart said, after being asked if she watched that men’s game. “(We) saw the way that Serbia came out and played our men and (we made) sure that that wasn’t a situation that happened today.”
The Americans have now won 60 consecutive games in Olympic play, a streak that started after they took bronze in 1992.
“The streak is crazy,” the 29-year-old Stewart said. “It was like before I was born that it started which is wild. But it just goes to show those that have really paved the way and to create USA Basketball to what it is now.”
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