Bahía Blanca, Argentina • Nov. 14-17, 2019

The USA Women’s National Team was delayed in arriving in Bahía Blanca, Argentina, and was without its head coach Dawn Staley, head coach of University of South Carolina, due to the timing of the tournament, but that did not stop the squad from rolling up three victories over a four-day span.

After starting slow, the USA found its stride and shooting eye one minute into the second quarter and marched on to earn a 76-61 victory over Brazil to open pre-Olympic qualifying play on Nov. 14.

Sylvia Fowles, who made 10-of-11 shots and secured six rebounds, and Chelsea Gray, who drained 8-of-12 shots including 4-of-5 from 3-point, each accounted for 21 points, while Nneka Ogwumike added 11 points.

The USA was impressive in a 91-34 win over host Argentina  on Nov. 16. Diamond DeShields scored 13 points, Fowles tallied 13 points and seven rebounds, and Ogwumike had 12 points.

The game marked a special homecoming for Diana Taurasi, whose parents immigrated to the United States from Argentina, and the family returned for a year when Taurasi was 13. She last traveled to Argentina to play for the 2000 USA U18 National Team and was appreciative of the opportunity to return for these qualifying games.

“They’re some of the most passionate, best fans in the world,” said Taurasi, who received an energetic reception from the fans in the packed arena and a personalized Argentina jersey from the home team. “So, just to be able to play at home, this late in my career, there’s nothing like it. To be able to wear the U.S. jersey here in Argentina again, it’s pretty awesome.”

With a 104-48 win over Colombia, the U.S. finished its FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying slate with a 3-0 record on Nov. 17.

A’ja Wilson led the USA with 23 points and nine rebounds; DeShields, who also grabbed nine rebounds, and Arike Ogunbowale both scored 17 points; and Kelsey Plum finished with 10 points and five assists.

“This first segment, when you combined a college tour that transitioned right into a FIBA event, it’s not an easy transition,” said USA co-coach Dan Hughes. “There was a lot of travel, but what a great experience for the players, the coaches and the people who bonded during this time. A lot of times, what you get off the court means as much as what you get on the court. You learn to share a purpose, and that will continue to benefit us moving forward.”

2019 USA WOMEN'S PRE-OLYMPIC QUALIFYING TEAM ROSTER

2019 USA WOMEN'S PRE-OLYMPIC QUALIFYING TEAM CUMULATIVE STATISTICS