Team USA will take plenty of lessons away from the squad’s 93-85 loss to Team WNBA in Wednesday’s All-Star Game.
The Tokyo-bound Olympic team faced a tough challenge in Team WNBA, with Arike Ogunbowale putting up 26 points and Jonquel Jones hitting a massive double-double, recording 18 points and 14 rebounds.
“This was, in some ways, another practice for us,” said Sue Bird of Team USA’s All-Star defeat.
Bird, who will represent the U.S. in her fifth Olympics in Tokyo, says the team is still figuring out “which group is most cohesive” on the court together.
“This was just the first step. We learn from it and move on. I think we learned we’re not a team yet.”
Diana Taurasi, another Olympic veteran, brushed off Wednesday’s loss. “At the end of the day, we’re here for a bigger goal than to win an All-Star Game.”
Team USA will face off against Australia on July 16 in an exhibition match ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, airing on NBCSN at 2:30 pm ET.