The dream for an 8th consecutive gold will be on the line for Team USA on August 7. A challenging quarterfinal contest against Nigeria will happen at the Bercy Arena in Paris if A’ja Wilson and the rest need to secure their 59th straight win at the Olympics. However, it also means that there is tremendous pressure on the unit not to wind up with a first loss in almost 3o years. It adds unnecessary pressure, to be honest!

Elle Duncan and Gary Striewski dug through this tricky possibility on the latest episode of The Elle Duncan Show. Going first, and said, “To put it in perspective for everybody else, it is going to be front page global headlines if and when they lose a basketball game. Because it will be the first time they’ve done that in 3 decades”.

Ever since Team USA lost the semi-final match against CIS in the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Team USA has been invincible. They have won 7 gold medals on the trot without having to drop a single game in the process. Moreover, they keep displaying this dominance in 2024 as well.

Currently 3-0 in the competition, they have pulled off their victories by an average of 19 points per contest. Having said that, their opponents for the night Nigeria are also winning with a double-digit margin. Despite being 2-1 at the event so far, they have maintained an 11-point cushion.

Following this, ESPN analyst Elle Duncan also weighed in, and said, “Does that feel fair though? Because it sort of feels like there is a game within a game. They’re getting to a point where if they lose, they’re going to be eliminated. But, there is also like the idea, that it’s kind of like college football. It’s not just that you win, it’s how you win. They can get the gold medal, but if they were to lose a game along the way, they would have somehow broken some secret trust between generations of basketball players”. 

Keeping all this in mind, let’s look at what lies ahead of A’ja Wilson and Team USA as they face a stiff opposition.

Will it be a Nigerian nightmare for A’ja Wilson and Co.?

Having lost one game in their journey, Nigeria has become the first African team to reach the knockout stage at an Olympic event. Spearheading their campaign is Ezinne Kalu, who is 5th in overall scoring with an average of 19.3 p.p.g. Providing her ample support is someone with a lot of promise. Seemingly, Promise Amukamara’s contribution of 10.3 points per game has been crucial.

As for Team USA, their dream pair of A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart are doing the job for them. Both currently occupy the 3rd spot with a scoring average of 20.3 points per game each. Also, apart from these 2, no other player averages in double digits at the moment.

Well, the fans will hope for the best. But Team USA will not want to take anything for granted, given that they have a Nigerian squad with nothing to lose. Hardly anyone would argue that the upcoming clash will be a mouth-watering one.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And, join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show”. Our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.