A'ja Wilson & Chelsea Gray get massive praise from Aces assistant coach following stellar outing vs. Japan

By Tristan Rawcliffe

Modified Jul 30, 2024 11:15 GMT

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Las Vegas Aces stars A'ja Wilson & Chelsea Gray showed out during the U.S. women's basketball team's 2024 Paris Olympic group-phase opener against Japan on Monday. Their strong outings garnered them high praise from Aces assistant coach Tyler Marsh.

Wilson finished with game-highs of 24 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks, shooting 62.5%. Meanwhile, Gray tallied a game-best 13 assists as Team USA blew out an undersized Japan team 102-76 to improve to 1-0 in Group C.

The duo helped the Americans pull away in the third quarter, with Gray setting up Wilson for several easy baskets. Team USA overcame a combined 41 points from Japanese standouts Maki Takada and Mai Yamamoto.

After the contest, Marsh took to X/Twitter, lauding Wilson and Gray for their stellar performances.

"Ay, you gotta relax (keep going), [Chelsea Gray]," Marsh said.

"We must never get bored of A'ja's greatness," Marsh said.

Wilson and Gray, who boast a combined five WNBA titles, are each pursuing their second Olympic gold medal. Meanwhile, Team USA is looking to win its unprecedented eighth straight.

The Aces duo played together on the Americans' gold-medal-winning 2020 Tokyo Olympic squad, defeating Japan 90-75 in the tournament's final. Thus, Monday's contest marked a championship rematch.

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Watch: A'ja Wilson stunned by Japanese fan trolling with Caitlin Clark sign aimed at Team USA before Olympic game

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A'ja Wilson on Team USA capitalizing on its size advantage against Japan

Following Monday's decisive victory over Japan, A'ja Wilson touched on how Team USA took advantage of its glaring size advantage.

The Americans finished with a 56-27 rebounding edge and an 11-0 shot-blocking advantage, holding the Japanese to only 37.8% shooting.

Japan made 11 more 3-pointers than Team USA (15-4), with its outside shooting allowing it to hang within striking distance for most of the first half. However, the size disparity was ultimately too much to overcome.

"When it came to our strengths, it was our depth and our height," Wilson said.

"We tried to punish them in the paint, but also on the defensive end, staying in front of them because Japan is a team that really likes to rip and run, and that’s not like us. So, it made us play out of our defensive schemes, which made us lock in even more. So, I’m just glad about the presence that we have."

The Americans next face Belgium on Thursday, which fell 83-69 to Germany during its Olympic opener on Monday. Afterward, they will square off against the Germans on Sunday to conclude their group-phase schedule.

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