[ad_1]
Rick Rycroft/AP
SYDNEY — Breanna Stewart and america used a dominant defensive effort to beat Canada and attain the gold-medal sport of the World Cup for the fourth consecutive match.
Stewart scored 17 factors and the People raced out to an early result in put away Canada 83-43 on Friday. The 43 factors was the fewest scored in a semifinal sport in World Cup historical past.
“Canada has been taking part in very well all match and the objective was simply to come back on the market and actually restrict them,” stated U.S. ahead Alyssa Thomas. “We had been actually locked in from the soar with our sport plan.”
The People will face China, which edged Australia 61-59. The Chinese language staff misplaced to the U.S. by 14 factors within the pool spherical — the closest sport of the match for the People.
“Our objective was to win a gold medal and we’re able to do this,” U.S. coach Cheryl Reeve stated.
The U.S. (7-0), which is on a file tempo for factors and margin of victory within the match, took management of the sport early scoring the primary 15 factors. The People contested each shot on the defensive finish because the Canadians missed their first 9 makes an attempt from the sector. On the offensive finish, Stewart, A’ja Wilson and Alyssa Thomas mainly acquired any shot they needed.
“I believe after that punch, it actually took the air out of them,” Thomas stated. “They did not know what to do with their offense anymore after that.”
Laeticia Amihere, who performs at South Carolina for former U.S. coach Daybreak Staley, lastly acquired Canada on the board almost 5 minutes into the sport by making a driving layup.
By the top of the quarter the U.S. led 27-7. Canada had dedicated 4 turnovers — the identical quantity the staff had towards Puerto Rico within the quarterfinals, which was the bottom whole in a sport in 30 years.
The People had been up 45-21 on the half and the lead saved increasing within the last 20 minutes. The win was the most important margin for the U.S. within the medal spherical, topping the 36-point victory over Spain within the 2010 World Cup.
Canada (5-2) superior to the medal spherical for the primary time since 1986 and has an opportunity to win its first medal since taking the bronze that 12 months.
“We did not get it achieved immediately, however what we’ll do is take this with what we discovered immediately and the way we will flip it up tomorrow,” Canada captain Natalie Achonwa stated. “It is nonetheless a sport for a medal and it is simply as vital for us.”
The U.S. has gained seven of the eight conferences with Canada within the World Cup, though the final one got here in 2010. The lone victory for Canada got here in 1975.
The victory was the twenty ninth in a row in World Cup play for the People, who have not misplaced for the reason that 2006 semifinals towards Russia. The Soviet Union holds the World Cup file with 56 straight wins from 1959-86. That is solely the second time within the People’ storied historical past they’ve reached 4 consecutive gold medal contests. Additionally they did it from 1979-90, profitable thrice.
This U.S. staff, which has so many new faces on it, additionally continued to dominate the paint even with out 6-foot-8 Brittney Griner, outscoring its opponents by a median of 55-24.
Amihere led Canada with eight factors.
[ad_2]
Source link