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U.S. handles Japan in its Olympics women's basketball opener

Related Topics: Breanna Stewart, Japan

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LILLE, France -- The United States women's basketball team is likely to get stronger as the Olympics wear on, as it builds chemistry and gets some reps playing together. But, in the meantime, it sure it a luxury to have superior size.

The Americans leaned into that advantage in their Olympics opener, bruising the smaller Japan team in a 102-76 victory in a rematch of the 2021 gold medal game in Tokyo. They are now 56-0 in the Olympics since 1992 as they take the first step toward winning their eighth consecutive gold.

Japan's tallest player stands 6-foot-1 and Team USA has six players that size or taller and that differential was the defining aspect of the game.