US Uses Dominant Inside Presence to Beat Japan 86-69

SAITAMA, Japan (AP) — A’ja Wilson scored 20 points and Breanna Stewart added 15 to help the U.S. beat Japan 86-69 in the women's basketball tournament. The U.S. has now won 51 consecutive games dating back to the bronze medal game in the 1992 Olympics although the team has looked far from sharp in its first two victories at the Saitama Super Arena. It was a matchup of contrasting styles. The U.S. had its dominant group of bigs led by the 6-foot-9 Brittney Griner. Japan’s tallest player ia only 6-1. The host nation, which is the only team in the field to have beaten the U.S. in an Olympic contest back in 1976, played a more free-flowing style with all five players capable of shooting 3-pointers.