VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France — U.S. coach Cheryl Reeve feels part of the fun and challenge of the Olympics is seeing all the different styles of play that countries use.The Americans faced a spirited Japan team in the opener that tried to play physical with the U.S. on defense and constantly moved and shot 3’s on the offensive end. Next up is Belgium, a team that plays more of a halfcourt WNBA style that the American players and coaches are used to.“I say you have to be an amoeba. You know, you’ve got to be able to change and then you reshape yourself,” Reeve said. “And so they trust that process. Belgium is, you know, going to be a little more probably what we see in the WNBA.”That helps the U.S. which hasn’t had much time together at all. The group had about 14 hours of preparation as a team to get ready for the Olympics. The Belgium squad has been together for a few years.“They’ve been together for awhile and that helps,” U.S. guard Diana Taurasi said.They also are well-versed in the rules of international play, which tends to allow for more physical play. That’s something that many of the U.S. players are getting used to.A’ja Wilson said that the Olympic opener can be “a wake-up call” in terms of remembering how physical it can be. She reminded herself, “You get the first punch, don’t get punched first.”Sabrina Ionescu, who doesn’t play overseas in the offseason so is a relative newcomer to international basketball, shined in her Olympic debut with 11 points and five assists. She also got knocked over on a hard screen and was fortunately able to bounce right back up.“That was a good one,” she said of the hit.Taurasi was one of three UConn players in the starting lineup for the U.S. win over Japan that included Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. Connecticut Sun superstar Alyssa Thomas, playing her first Olympics, came off the bench. Stewart led the state-connected contingent with 22 points.Belgium gave the U.S. a major scare in an Olympic qualifying tournament in February that was in its home country. The Americans needed a tip-in shot at the buzzer by Breanna Stewart to come away with a victory.Thursday’s game isn’t in Belgium, but the arena is only about 30 minutes away from the border and there’s a huge Belgian crowd expected. More than 20,000 fans came to see the Belgian Cats opening loss against Germany.“Obviously it’s going to be a Belgian house in there and hopefully we can play well,” Taurasi said.When the two teams met in February, the U.S. didn’t have A’ja Wilson and Brittney Griner for that game. Having those two will give the Americans a huge advantage inside. They dominated the interior against Japan, outscoring them 64-22 in the paint.“There were very, very many helpful takeaways that we’re going to be locked in on today,” Reeve said of watching the film of the 81-79 win over Belgium. “Honestly, most of them were on the offensive side of the ball.”Belgium is desperate for a win after falling to Germany. The Belgian Cats have been on the rise lately internationally behind star Emma Meesseman. They were seventh in the Tokyo Games, fifth at the World Cup a year later and won the EuroBasket championship last year.“They definitely are a team that’s been getting better lately,” Taurasi said.
Originally Published: July 31, 2024 at 4:36 p.m.
