U.S. ladies break workforce file with twenty seventh straight FIBA World Cup win

SYDNEY — There’s been an extended legacy of success for the U.S. ladies’s basketball workforce on the World Cup.

The names change over time, however the outcomes do not appear to.

Kelsey Plum scored 20 factors, Chelsea Grey added 16 and the US routed Bosnia and Herzegovina 121-59 on Tuesday to interrupt the workforce file for consecutive wins on the World Cup.

The victory was the twenty seventh in a row in World Cup play for the Individuals, who have not misplaced for the reason that 2006 semifinals in opposition to Russia. The U.S. received 26 in a row from 1994-2006 main as much as that sport. The Soviet Union holds the World Cup file with 56 straight wins from 1959-86.

“It is form of superb,” mentioned Breanna Stewart, who has been a part of the final three World Cup groups. “Clearly, been right here for a few of it, however you perceive the legends earlier than that who actually form of began the streak. It goes to indicate that irrespective of who’s enjoying on USA Basketball, we’re all the time attempting to chase excellence.

“This streak does not imply a lot proper now as a result of we’re going into the quarterfinals and specializing in successful a gold medal, nevertheless it’s one thing to form of dangle your hat on later.”

What began with Sue Chicken, Diana Taurasi and Sylvia Fowles has now been handed on to Stewart and A’ja Wilson. A legacy of excellence that does not seem it is going to finish anytime quickly.

“The gamers change and, , there was quite a lot of concern about who’s subsequent,” U.S. coach Cheryl Reeve mentioned. “It was a priority when Daybreak Staley and Lisa Leslie had been enjoying and who was going to be subsequent. Then it was Sue and (Taurasi) after which different nice gamers, too. Now with this group they’re saying, hey, we’re fairly good, too.”

After going unbeaten in pool play once more, the U.S. hasn’t misplaced a sport previous to the semifinals since 1983.

“We all know the duty whenever you placed on this jersey. There’s much more than your self,” Plum mentioned. “Everybody places pleasure to the aspect. We now have a typical purpose. We now have some superb gamers on this workforce.”

The Individuals (5-0) received their pool video games by a median of 46.2 factors and by no means trailed in any of them. Now they are going to wait to see who they draw within the quarterfinals.

The U.S. was coming off a file rout of South Korea through which the workforce broke the World Cup file for factors with 145. Whereas the Individuals did not match that quantity, they put the sport out of attain within the first 10 minutes, going up 33-15.

The lead ballooned to 63-31 at halftime. Bosnia and Herzegovina put collectively a small run to begin the third quarter, however the U.S. scored the ultimate 19 factors of the interval.

As soon as once more they used a dominant inside efficiency, outscoring Bosnia and Herzegovina 84-28 within the paint led by Wilson, Stewart and Brionna Jones.

“It is an enormous a part of our id,” Reeve mentioned. “Ninety-whatever we had yesterday and 84 at the moment, we simply know what we’re good at and we’ve got gamers which are actually understanding their alternatives for that.”

The U.S. was lacking Jewell Loyd, whom the workforce mentioned was resting. Kahleah Copper began in her place and completed with 11 factors.

Nikolina Elez scored 19 factors to steer the Bosniaks (0-5), who had been enjoying of their first World Cup.