Team USA has begun the process of competing for a record-extending eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal with a dominant win over Japan. In a rematch of the 2020 Gold Medal Game, the Americans began to overwhelm Japan late in the second quarter and never looked back.
Throughout the 102-76 victory, Team USA put its greatest strength on full display: The simple fact that it has two best players in the world on its roster.
Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson are the preeminent forces of their generation. Since 2018, they've combined to win four WNBA championships, four MVPs, and three Finals MVP awards, with Wilson twice earning Defensive Player of the Year honors and Stewart securing a scoring title.
Stewart is also a four-time NCAA champion, four-time NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, and three-time National Player of the Year, while Wilson has one of each of those honors herself.
In 2024, Stewart and Wilson are joining forces to lead Team USA through the 2024 Summer Olympics. They already achieved gold medal status as a pairing in 2020, with Stewart also capturing gold in 2016, but the dynamic has shifted in 2024.
Stewart and Wilson are the definitive two best players on the planet, and Japan learned first-hand how daunting a task it will be to overcome them.
Team USA's biggest advantage: A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart
Stewart and Wilson were nothing short of dominant in Team USA's Olympic opener. They helped pace the team through the first half and then slammed the door on Japan in the third quarter en route to the 102-76 final score.
It was an unequivocally elite showing by the two players whom no one has had an answer for at any level in quite some time.
Wilson finished the win over Japan with 24 points, 13 rebounds, six offensive boards, four assists, and four blocks on 10-of-16 shooting. Stewart was right there with her, tallying 22 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and three blocks on 11-of-15 shooting.
Between the second and third quarters, Stewart and Wilson outscored Japan 43-42—thus opening the door for their teammates to pace the Americans to a more comfortable lead.
A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart SHOWED OUT in USA women's basketball team's blowout win over Japan 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/SBbinAgioj
— ESPN (@espn) July 29, 2024
Team USA is stacked from top to bottom, but the presence of Stewart and Wilson gives it an advantage that no team can match. At any given moment, the two could take over and effectively outplay an entire five-woman lineup.
The fact that they have the luxury of struggling ever so slightly and turning to a cast of All-Stars and All-WNBA mainstays in relief creates an unparalleled level of team dominance.
Once the WNBA season resumes, Stewart will return to leading the New York Liberty, which have the best record in the league at 21-4. Wilson, meanwhile, will look to put the finishing touches on a season in which she's poised to set the all-time record for points per game.
In the meantime, two of the greatest players in WNBA history will be working together to add yet another historic feat to their Hall of Fame résumés.