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▼ Olympics: Japan Takes Women's Basketball Silver After Loss To U.S.
- Category:Event
Japan finished its women's basketball Cinderella story at the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday with a silver medal following a 90-75 loss to the United States.
The one-sided result in the final at Saitama Super Arena could not take the sheen off a historic tournament for head coach Tom Hovasse's squad, who hold their heads high after winning Japan's first-ever Olympic basketball medal.
Center Brittney Griner scored a game-high 30 points for Dawn Staley's all-conquering side, who earned the U.S. its seventh straight Olympic women's basketball championship.
Captain Maki Takada led Japan with 17 points while taking on the unenviable task of matching up against the 203-centimeter Griner.
One of the standout players in Japan's surprising run through the group and knockout stages, guard Rui Machida said her team's disappointment at losing the final was tempered by the joy of winning a medal.
"While it was definitely frustrating to lose to today, I was really happy to be playing for a gold medal," said Machida, who contributed eight points and six assists in the final.
"The United States managed to take us out of our game, but playing on this stage for the first time and winning a medal was an incredible experience."
The Americans' imposing interior defense forced Japan to rely on points from outside the arc early. Guard Nako Motohashi provided an immediate offensive spark off the bench as Japan's reserve unit kept them in touch in the first half.
The Olympic hosts had no answer for the inside presence of Griner, however. The star center racked up 18 first-half points to lead the U.S. into halftime with a 50-39 lead.
The United States pulled away in the second half, building an insurmountable lead with a 25-17 third quarter.
Motohashi finished with 16 points, five rebounds and four assists for Japan, which narrowed the final margin by outscoring the Americans 19-15 in the fourth quarter.
Griner said she and her teammates had studied game tape of a Japanese team which stretched the Americans on the defensive end.
"Japan is hard to guard. They never stop moving. They can shoot anywhere from behind the arc, one through five...it was a good game," Griner said.
The Tokyo Games may have been the Olympic swansong for a number of all-time Team U.S.A. greats, including guard Diana Taurasi, winner of five Olympic gold medals.
"What can you say? It's 20 years of sacrifice, of putting everything aside and just wanting to win," Taurasi said.
Despite the mismatch on paper, Taurasi said she had been prepared for a tough battle against an underdog Japan side.
"We knew that Japan wasn't messing around. We had watched every single game and we had the utmost respect for that team," she said.
While the 39-year-old Taurasi hinted at the possibility of playing at the 2024 Paris Games, backcourt partner Sue Bird, a fellow-five-time gold medalist, and head coach Staley both said the Tokyo Olympics would be their last.
The one-sided result in the final at Saitama Super Arena could not take the sheen off a historic tournament for head coach Tom Hovasse's squad, who hold their heads high after winning Japan's first-ever Olympic basketball medal.
Center Brittney Griner scored a game-high 30 points for Dawn Staley's all-conquering side, who earned the U.S. its seventh straight Olympic women's basketball championship.
Captain Maki Takada led Japan with 17 points while taking on the unenviable task of matching up against the 203-centimeter Griner.
One of the standout players in Japan's surprising run through the group and knockout stages, guard Rui Machida said her team's disappointment at losing the final was tempered by the joy of winning a medal.
"While it was definitely frustrating to lose to today, I was really happy to be playing for a gold medal," said Machida, who contributed eight points and six assists in the final.
"The United States managed to take us out of our game, but playing on this stage for the first time and winning a medal was an incredible experience."
The Americans' imposing interior defense forced Japan to rely on points from outside the arc early. Guard Nako Motohashi provided an immediate offensive spark off the bench as Japan's reserve unit kept them in touch in the first half.
The Olympic hosts had no answer for the inside presence of Griner, however. The star center racked up 18 first-half points to lead the U.S. into halftime with a 50-39 lead.
The United States pulled away in the second half, building an insurmountable lead with a 25-17 third quarter.
Motohashi finished with 16 points, five rebounds and four assists for Japan, which narrowed the final margin by outscoring the Americans 19-15 in the fourth quarter.
Griner said she and her teammates had studied game tape of a Japanese team which stretched the Americans on the defensive end.
"Japan is hard to guard. They never stop moving. They can shoot anywhere from behind the arc, one through five...it was a good game," Griner said.
The Tokyo Games may have been the Olympic swansong for a number of all-time Team U.S.A. greats, including guard Diana Taurasi, winner of five Olympic gold medals.
"What can you say? It's 20 years of sacrifice, of putting everything aside and just wanting to win," Taurasi said.
Despite the mismatch on paper, Taurasi said she had been prepared for a tough battle against an underdog Japan side.
"We knew that Japan wasn't messing around. We had watched every single game and we had the utmost respect for that team," she said.
While the 39-year-old Taurasi hinted at the possibility of playing at the 2024 Paris Games, backcourt partner Sue Bird, a fellow-five-time gold medalist, and head coach Staley both said the Tokyo Olympics would be their last.
- August 8, 2021
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