A’ja Wilson powers Team USA basketball to victory in her Olympic Games debut

South Carolina women’s basketball was well represented in Team USA’s 81-72 opening victory over Nigeria early Tuesday morning.

Gamecock great A’ja Wilson recorded a double-double in her Olympic debut, scoring a team-high 19 points and 13 rebounds. Dawn Staley earned her first Olympic victory as head coach, while Team USA recorded its 50th consecutive Olympic win.

Team USA was able to pull ahead of Nigeria after a bumpy start, falling behind 20-17 at the end of the first quarter and trailing 25-20 early in the second quarter. A 23-0 run before the half propelled the Americans to a halftime lead that carried through the rest of the game, though Team USA will need to improve upon its 25 turnovers as it continues to make a push for a seventh straight Olympic gold medal.

What A’ja Wilson said

Wilson admitted she was a bit nervous ahead of her Olympic debut. She called her parents to ease the jitters and found plenty of comfort on the court with her teammates. By tipoff, Wilson was a dynamic presence for Team USA.

“I’m just going to do whatever I can,” Wilson said. “If that’s bringing energy, if that’s rebounding, anything. I’m going to make sure I can do that for my teammates.”

She said Staley’s message throughout Team USA’s first-half trouble was to do whatever it took to win. They expected a tough match from Nigeria, but they also knew there would be a bit of a learning curve early in the Olympics.

“Honestly, this is our first game, and it’s on the biggest stage,” Wilson said. “It was not going to be the prettiest thing. In the beginning, we’re all getting out jitters. Once we get back into it, understand who we are and the standard that we have to play, we get into a groove.”

What’s next for Team USA women’s basketball?

Team USA will play the host nation Japan at 12:40 a.m. Friday morning. Japan defeated France 74-70 in its opening matchup on Monday. The game will be broadcast live on USA Network.

Allisha Gray, USA 3x3 team earn top seed in semifinals

Former Gamecock Allisha Gray and the USA women’s 3x3 team were handed their first loss early Tuesday morning, falling 20-18 to Japan. Gray scored five points in the final game of the preliminary round.

The loss didn’t have any effect on semifinal placements, as the USA had already secured the No. 1 seed after winning its first six games through the group round over the weekend. Team USA will play at 4 a.m. Wednesday morning against the winner of Tuesday’s A4 v. A5 play-in game. The Americans’ upcoming semifinal game will be broadcast live on USA Network.

The women’s 3x3 basketball bronze medal contest will be played at 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, with the gold medal game to follow at 8:55 a.m. Both medal games will also be broadcast live on USA Network.

Checking in on Team Canada

Current South Carolina player Laeticia Amihere scored two points and grabbed three rebounds off the bench in Canada’s 72-68 loss to Serbia early Monday morning. Team Canada will look to rebound in its second group round matchup against South Korea at 9 p.m. Wednesday.