Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson positive amid pre-Olympics loss

By Jay Postrado July 22, 2024 16:59

WNBA All-Star weekend was not at all what Team USA had envisioned. The representatives for the Stars and Stripes were set on dominating the Paris Olympics but were then quickly humbled by Team WNBA led by Arike Ogunbowale, Caitlin Clark, and Angel Reese. While a lot of squads might take this the wrong way, these veterans know how to bounce back from tough losses. After all, A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, and Sabrina Ionescu are not just defined by their skills. They also have an insane veteran acumen which propels them over the other players of the world.

Team WNBA wiped the floor and mopped Team USA during All-Star weekend. By the end of it all, the Olympians saw themselves losing with a 117-109 scoreline. While there were a lot of negative reactions and doubts that were hurled toward the selection committee, the chosen players to don the nation’s colors still had an eye that looked at the bright side.

A’ja Wilson, one of the top scorers of Team USA, outlined that fans should not be too worried amid this outcome, via Isabel Gonzalez of CBS Sports

"We have to adjust to different schemes, different languages, and trust the process, honestly, and our buy-in factor. I think that we're not about to press the panic button right now because this is our first test, and I'm glad we got tested,” Wilson declared.

Breanna Stewart, a known veteran of Team USA’s Olympics squad also doubled down on her teammate’s stance. She even noted what they should be able to do better after the two rookies and the Dallas Wings bucket-getter picked them apart.

"This is going to help us tremendously. We can go back and watch the film, focus on how we can continue to be better. It was like a little bit of a deja vu feeling, honestly, but just locking in."What we need to do better is quickly be on the same page defensively. I think that's really it. Understanding that we just gave up 117 points is kind of crazy. Making sure our weak side is there, our help side is there. Just kind of take this one on of the chin and keep moving forward,” she said.

Japan, Belgium, and Germany are all going to stand in Team USA’s chances of adding their 10th gold medal finish in the Olympics.