PARIS — A’ja Wilson scored 20 points, Jackie Young added 15 and the United States beat Nigeria 88-74 on Wednesday night in the quarterfinals of the Paris tournament, extending its Olympic winning streak to 59.
Breanna Stewart also scored 13 points for the USA, which has not lost since the 1992 Barcelona Games and is two wins away from an unprecedented eighth consecutive gold medal.
They will face a familiar foe, Australia, in the semi-final on Friday night.
The Opals defeated Serbia 85-67.
The other medal round match will be between hosts France and Belgium.
The loss ended Nigeria’s historic run to become the first African nation to reach the Olympic basketball quarterfinals.
The United States made some changes to the starting lineup after slow starts in recent games, bringing on Young for Diana Taurasi.
This was Taurasi’s first time not competing in the Olympics since her first appearance in 2004.
The move worked, as the U.S. led 26-17 at the end of the first quarter, their first lead since their season-opening win over Japan.
Young scored five points early in the game but hurt his ankle after landing on a Nigerian player’s foot during a jump shot.
Taurasi came on as a substitute and made his first shot, a 3-pointer from the top of the key, to make the score 24-12 late in the first quarter.
Nigeria hung in there and trailed 31-27 before Wilson, Young and Kelsey Plumb took control.
The Las Vegas Aces trio scored the first 15 points, including eight from Wilson, to end the first half on a 21-6 run to give the U.S. a 52-33 lead.
2024 Paris Olympics
The Americans continued their momentum in the third quarter, scoring the first 10 points and leaving Nigeria with no hope of a comeback.
Promise Amukamara led Nigeria with 19 points, while Amy Okonkwo added 17 and Ezinne Kalu 16.
As this was the U.S. team’s first games in Paris, the event also featured some Olympians in attendance, including men’s team athletes LeBron James, Bam Adebayo and Devin Booker, as well as U.S. swimming greats Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky.
Members of the U.S. rowing team were also in attendance.
The United States and Nigeria are no strangers.
The two teams met in the opening game of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics with the USA winning by nine points, one of only two games decided by single digits during their historic winning streak.
The two teams also met in an Olympic qualifier in February, with the U.S. winning 100-46.
Wilson also grabbed 11 rebounds.
Brittney Griner came off the bench and added 11 points.
