August 4, 2024
How Team USA ended its group stage with a win over Germany
Jackie Young scores 19 off the bench
VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France — Team USA closed out its group stage at the Paris Olympics with an 87-68 win over Germany on Sunday. Germany led 17-10 early on and closed out the first quarter with a 19-16 lead. Once the Americans equalized at 22-22 three minutes into the second, they were able to sustain the lead until the final whistle.
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Once again, Team USA’s depth was on full display. Out of a timeout midway through the first, four of the world’s most elite players came off the bench to replace four starters to ramp up the comeback.
“I think it’s what defines the dynasty, is the depth,” Team USA head coach Cheryl Reeve said.
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For Jackie Young, the Germany game was her time to shine. After scoring seven points in 13 minutes versus Japan, then not taking a shot in nine minutes against Belgium, Young led all players with 19 points on Sunday. That includes 5-of-8 from beyond the arc. According to FIBA, the 19 points off the bench are the most for an American woman in the past three Olympics.
“I just try to come in and make an impact on the defensive end,” Young said. “I just wait until my number is called and try to stay locked in on the bench. I’m just trying to be ready when my number is called. We know what is at stake, so I am really looking forward to that and building off each game. We’ll be ready to play in Paris.”
Young, like her Las Vegas Aces teammate Kelsey Plum, won the gold medal in 3-on-3 basketball at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago. Now, she is proving to be a valuable asset for the 5-on-5 dynasty.
“Jackie has earned the extension of minutes she got today,” Reeve said. “Obviously, she made really productive use of those minutes on both ends of the floor. We’re going to continue to tweak until we get to the end, and then we’ll have it figured out.”
In addition, Alyssa Thomas played her most minutes of the competition with 23. The Connecticut Sun forward is making her first Olympic appearance at age 32.
“I think that’s what makes our team special,” Thomas said of the depth. “There are a lot of things we can do. They had the best start, we did a line change, and it jump-started the game. A lot of teams are giving us their best effort, and it’s about us coming out and not letting up.”
Germany now heads to the quarterfinals for the first time ever after placing second in the group. The team was without Nyara Sabally for the second straight game, as she is in concussion protocol and remains questionable for the next game.
“The biggest point is not giving up easy buckets,” German center Marie Gülich said of playing the Americans. “As soon as you turn it over, they just have a bucket on the other side. I am super proud of the team. I know it’s a tough one, but it’s also a learning experience for what is next. I am still pumped about the two games we won. With every game, we get better, we challenge each other, and I am super proud of that.”
Team USA will play Nigeria in the final quarterfinal at 3:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Aug. 4. The Nigerians are the first-ever African team to advance beyond the group stage at the Olympics. The day will begin with Serbia and Australia at 5 a.m. ET. Spain was the only other team besides the U.S. to go undefeated in the group stage, and it will play Belgium at 8:30 a.m. ET. The host team, France, will match up with Germany at noon ET. The U.S.- Nigeria winner will face the Serbia-Australia in Friday night’s semifinals.
Read more of our coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics, including stories live from France.
Written by Scott Mammoser
Scott Mammoser covered the Paris 2024 Olympics for The Next. He has also covered major international events for FIBA, World Athletics and the International Skating Union. He has attended six other Olympics and traveled to more than 90 countries.
