A’ja Wilson: Team USA ‘Needed This Push’ From Serbia

Team USA defeated a tough Serbian national team that accepted the challenge of playing against a strong American team. As the first team in the FIBA ​​Women’s World Cup, Team USA fell behind early and trailed by another four points late in the second quarter.

But there’s a reason Team USA won three straight World Cups. After Karlea Cooper went down with an undisclosed injury, the United States went on a decisive 20-0 run, ultimately defeating Serbia 88-55 and clinching a spot in the World Cup semifinals.

“I think that was a moment where we had to be really solid,” Aja Wilson said of Copper’s injury. “That first quarter stumbled us a little bit. I know it caught us a little bit off guard. That can’t happen. So, for us and the rest of the way, the jump. I think you just have to stay on track and understand that you can get anything you want, and you just have to stay the course.”

Serbia, ranked 10th in the FIBA ​​rankings, was able to execute its game plan of clogging up the paint and making the game an intense and physical match. Team USA vs. Team Serbia was a 28-26 victory for Team USA, the first time in pain. Kelsey Plum, who had 17 points, acknowledged that Serbia was “more physical than we’ve seen all tournament.”

The Americans struggled against Serbia’s physical defense, as evidenced by their 17 turnovers, the first time during the World Cup they turned over more balls than their opponents.

“They had a lot of bodies in the paint,” said Alyssa Thomas (13 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists). “Obviously, we scored 94 points in the paint.” [against Korea]I do the same. But they put a lot of emphasis on that, so we really had to break down our outside shots. ”

Instead of relying on the paint to defeat the Serbs, Team USA made 11 3-pointers and hit 2-12 free throws. The Americans ended the first half on a 12-0 run to take a 50-33 lead and started the second half on an 8-0 run. Team USA also held Serbia scoreless from the 3:39 mark of the second frame to the 5:15 mark of the third frame, allowing Serbia to score seven points over the remainder of the third quarter.

“I think we needed this push,” Wilson said. “I think this first quarter was what we needed to wake us up a little bit, because that’s what we’re going to see. It’s going to get tougher from here. So it was a good game for us. I think it was a good match for us to watch and strengthen.”

The Americans will play Canada on Friday for a spot in the gold medal game. The winner of the U.S. vs. Canada game will face the semifinal winner of Australia vs. China.