The second the opening tip occurred, this game was over.
Rio de Janeiro got to see its first glimpse of the USA Basketball Women’s National Team and it was all Team USA in a dominating 121-56 victory over Senegal to start group play.
It is the team’s 42nd consecutive Olympic victory. They also broke their all-time record for points scored in an Olympic contest with the 121. The previous record was 114–set in 1992 at Barcelona against Spain and matched four years ago in London vs. China.
Team USA shot 65 percent for the game. Diana Taurasi, Sylvia Fowles, and Breanna Stewart all scored 15 points each. Brittney Griner added 14.
Fatou Dieng scored ten in a losing Senegal effort.
The score after one quarter was 35-9. You read that correctly…thirty-five to nine. In fact the score after one quarter might as well have been Diana Taurasi 12 to nine for Senegal. Taurasi made all four of her three-point attempts in the first quarter as the rout was on early and often for Team USA.
When the first half was in the books, Team USA had opened up a 43-point lead on Senegal with the score being 64-21. USA’s first-half shooting percentage, one asks? It was 70 percent.
Perhaps just as much of a story as the game that wasn’t much of a game was the crowd at the Youth Arena that consistently broke out in chants of “Sen-e-gal!” in a clear show of support for the underdog.
Unfortunately for Senegal, they would not have their day vs. Team USA.
Both teams are back in action tomorrow—Senegal vs. China (6:45 p.m.) and Team USA vs. Spain (11 a.m.—NBCSN).
By: Akiem Bailum (@AkiemBailum on Twitter, Instagram)
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