basketball

A'ja Wilson Shines as US Women Beat Nigeria, 81-72

A'ja Wilson made a statement in her Olympic debut, scoring 19 points

NBCUniversal Media, LLC

It didn't take long for A’ja Wilson to make a splash at the Tokyo Olympics.

The 2020 WNBA MVP scored 19 points to help the U.S. women win their 50th-straight Olympic game, an 81-72 victory over Nigeria.

Despite a slow start in the first quarter, Team USA took over in the second going on a 20-0 run heading into the half.

The U.S. scored 26 points in the third quarter, but Nigeria refused to give up.

Led by Ezinne Kalu, Nigeria went on a 12-0 run to start the fourth but in the end, it was Chelsea Gray who stepped up to close out the win for the Americans.

Brittney Griner was the second-leading scorer for the U.S. with 13 points, followed by Diana Taurasi (10), who played in her 33rd career Olympic game.

Breanna Stewart and Sylvia Fowles scored nine points each in the win.

The U.S. women will face Japan on Friday in their second preliminary game.

While most of the game is the same, there are some key differences that distinguish NBA basketball from Olympic basketball.
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