BY DOUG FEINBERG
VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France (AP) — A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart and Brittney Griner dominated the paint and helped the U.S. win its Olympic opener as the Americans chase an unprecedented eighth straight gold medal.
Wilson had 24 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocked shots to help the U.S. beat Japan 102-76 on Monday night.
“Points in the paint and controlling the boards are going to be huge for us moving forward,” Wilson said. “So if we can continue that, I feel like we’re in good shape.”
Stewart scored 22 points and the Americans now have a 56-game Olympic winning streak that dates to the 1992 Barcelona Games.
The U.S. also beat Japan in the final at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago for its seventh straight gold medal.
Now Monday’s victory tipped off the run to keep that streak going.
“We played this team for a gold medal, you
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