For the United States, it was just the quarterfinal game. So, the win wasn’t a bigger story for anyone familiar with how they have dominated basketball in the last few decades. The bigger story of the game was the extent of their domination and what spoke about their chemistry as they advance to the semifinals. For Rhyne Howard, she was happy with how her team played united and selfless on both fronts.
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“We talked about just getting better with each game, and I think we did that today, especially with how we shared [the ball],” Howard said after the win over Hungary, per Alexa Philippou of ESPN. “I think if we continue to play like that and continue to keep everybody on the same page, continue to move the ball, it’s going to be really hard to stop us.”
Team USA looked scary in the win over Hungary, and perhaps the biggest warning for any of their future opponent was their chemistry. They recorded 31 assists as a team, over two times what Hungary (13) recorded. Caitlin Clark and Chelsea Gray combined for 15 assists, which was nearly half of Team USA’s total.
“We were moving the ball a lot. It wasn’t one-on-one,” game’s leading scorer Napheesa Collier said. “We were looking for a great shot, not just a good shot, and so when we play that way, it’s really fun. And I feel like our chemistry is building each game.”
The Americans shot 58.5% from the field, including 52.2% from deep. Four of the players from the team shot 70% or more from the field. By halftime, the Americans had scored 32 points in the paint itself. It was two points more than what Hungary had scored in the entire first half. Collier led the team with 19 points. Howard added 15 points. Caitlin Clark, Kahleah Copper and Jackie Young added 10 points each.
All 12 players took the court and were positive on the plus/minus. USA’s 108 points and 31 assists became record-setting numbers in World Cup quarterfinal history. That 108 total also became the second-highest in any World Cup knockout-stage game, while the 52-point margin also became the second-largest in World Cup quarterfinal history.
The 52-point win margin was their second-largest win margin in World Cup history, as well as the second-largest ever in quarterfinals history.
The story seemed almost flipped on Hungary’s side. They shot 34.4% from the field, and all 12 were negative on the plus/minus. It reflected how great the US team was on defensive end.
“I thought it started with our activity on the defensive end,” head coach Kara Lawson said about her team. “And so our ability to turn them over, get out in transition, get some advantage plays, 2-on-1, 3-on-2, I thought gave us a lot of confidence early.”
Lawson’s squad forced 27 turnovers in total and scored 44 points off them. The US team had almost double the defensive rebounds (28) of Hungary (15). Angel Reese and Aliyah Boston had one of their best defensive games, combining for 10 rebounds and 5 steals.
“We talked about our keys, what it’s going to take to win gold, and I think tonight we did everything that coach asked us to do,” Reese said.
The Americans were ranked second behind France in the power rankings. However, in the last two games, they have played like a clear-cut favorite, when they have averaged 46.2 in their win margin, and Lawson remains confident in her team in defiance of the power rankings. They will play the winner of Australia vs. Spain in the semifinal on Sep. 12.
Unlike many national teams, Team USA didn’t have much time to build chemistry, a story that has mostly been consistent. On Thursday, they looked in sync. If they can maintain that on Saturday, irrespective of their opponent, their road to the gold medal game is easier.
Hungary was one of the good teams in this World Cup, but the Americans crushed them by 52 points. A win of this magnitude is yet another proof that they are still the team to beat in this tournament.