USA power into women’s basketball World Cup semifinals

Kelsey Plum drilled a game-high 17 points and grabbed two rebounds as the United States powered into the women's basketball World Cup semi-finals Thursday with a 88-55 pummelling of Serbia.

Published : Sep 29, 2022 10:38 IST

Kelsey Plum of the USA team.
Kelsey Plum of the USA team. | Photo Credit: AFP/JEREMY NG
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Kelsey Plum of the USA team. | Photo Credit: AFP/JEREMY NG

Kelsey Plum drilled a game-high 17 points and grabbed two rebounds as the United States powered into the women's basketball World Cup semifinals on Thursday with a 88-55 pummelling of Serbia.

The victory made it the 10th consecutive World Cup that the Americans have gone undefeated before the last four, as they target an 11th title and fourth in a row.

The US was 50-33 ahead at half-time and kept firm control to set up a last-four clash against either world number four Canada or 17th-ranked Puerto Rico, which plays later.

A'ja Wilson added 15 points and eight rebounds for the US while Yvonne Anderson scored 14 to lead Serbia at the Sydney Superdome.

It was never going to be easy for the Serbs, with the all-conquering US on a 28-game unbeaten streak, its longest since winning 26 from 1994-2006.

It averaged 107.2 points in each of its five preliminary games despite missing Wilson, Plum and Chelsea Gray for the first two, with the trio arriving late after its Las Vegas Aces team won the WNBA championship.

Little separated the two sides in the first quarter, with the US taking a narrow 25-23 lead, shooting 57 per cent to Serbia's 48 per cent.

The USA has been brutal in punishing errors, and it stepped up a gear to dominate around the board, building a 50-33 lead. Connecticut Sun power forward Alyssa Thomas led the scoring as it went on a 12-0 run.

Serbia, ranked 10, was shooting just 30 per cent from the field and was held to just seven points in the third quarter, going more than eight minutes without scoring, before the Americans put another 22 points past them in the fourth to romp home.

The only negative for the USA was Kahleah Copper being helped off with what looked like a groin injury in the second quarter, after a heavy collision.

In the other quarterfinals, China faces France and host Australia, the beaten 2018 finalist, takes on Belgium later Thursday.

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