Taurasi Ties Her Own Three-Point Record In USA's Opener


As the United States’ quest for a sixth-straight gold medal got underway Sunday morning, it was clear from the opening moments that three-time gold medalist Diana Taurasi was firing on all cylinders.

Three minutes into the first quarter Taurasi had already tallied nine points on 3-for-3 shooting from behind the arc. She showed zero inclination of slowing down and finished 4-for-4 from three-point range at the sound of the first quarter horn.

“That was probably our biggest point going into the game was getting off to a good start,” Taurasi said after the game. “We know how important momentum is in these tournaments, where if you get off to a good start, that kind of carries into the first game and into the next game, which is tomorrow. That was crucial, and I thought we did a good job of that.”

When the dust settled at the end of 40 minutes, the United States had secured a record-setting 65-point victory and Taurasi had tied the Olympic record for made threes in game with five. Whose record did she tie? Her own of course, set back in 2008 against Russia. She finished tied for a game-high 15 points with Breanna Stewart and Sylvia Fowles. As a team, the United States knocked down 10 treys in the game, shooting a scorching 56% from deep.

While Taurasi may have the third-most points in WNBA history, she has never been renowned for her three-point shooting prowess. Her career 36.7% shooting mark is a respectable clip but certainly doesn’t make her a deep threat when she’s on the floor.

That couldn’t have been further from the truth on Sunday. Taurasi settled into a nice rhythm almost immediately and was able to get a bevy of open looks because of the loaded roster the United States puts on the floor no matter the rotation.

Senegal was inept when it came to containing any of the bigs the United States threw at them, which caused for many of their guards to have to leave their mark and provide help defense. More than competent passers like Fowles, Griner, and Tina Charles were then able to quickly kick the ball back out to the perimeter for wide open looks that Taurasi happily devoured.

In typical Taurasi fashion, she didn’t shy away from the style of play the United States put forth when asked postgame. “If you like basketball, I think you enjoy watching good basketball. And if you don’t like watching basketball, I don’t know, go watch rowing or whatever you like.”

Taurasi and the United States won’t have much time to bask in their shooting success as they’re back in action in less than 24 hours against Spain. But, with the way they looked in their opener, there may be many records shattered in Rio.

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