The U.S. made a change to their starting lineup by bringing in Jackie Young instead of Diana Taurasi, aiming for a stronger start.
This adjustment worked well as the Americans began the game strongly and defeated Nigeria 88-74 on Wednesday night in the quarterfinals of the Paris Games, extending their winning streak to 59 consecutive Olympic games.
Taurasi mentioned that coach Cheryl Reeve informed her about the lineup change on Tuesday.
“I think it’s the first game I’ve ever come off the bench since ’04,” said Taurasi, who has been playing in the Olympics since 2004.
Indeed, this was the first time Taurasi had not started an Olympic game since the 2004 Athens Games. The WNBA’s all-time leading scorer emphasized that winning gold was her main focus.
“I mean, that’s really the only thing that’s important, you know?” Taurasi said. “And you know, this team’s just evolving and today was good in certain spots. And there’s still things we’ll get better at for the next game.”
Reeve explained that the coaching staff has been reviewing the roster since the WNBA All-Star Game last month in Phoenix.
“We were gathering information about our roster, giving opportunities in different places,” she said about the lineup change. “Then when we reached the medal rounds, we would focus on a solid rotation.”
Next, the team will face Australia in the semifinals on Friday night. The Opals won against Serbia 85-67. The other semifinal will see France playing against Belgium. The Americans have not lost since the 1992 Barcelona Games and are now two wins away from achieving an eighth consecutive gold medal.
Young took full advantage of her starting role, scoring 15 points and also contributing significantly on defense.
“I know that’s kind of my role in the team. You know, come in and be aggressive on the defensive end,” she said. “Be physical, get stops. And you know that kind of gets us playing in transition on the offensive end.”
