In a bounce back game against Spain, seven women contributed to the scoring for the Americans, and it was Rose Hollermann who stuffed the stat sheet with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists. From the outset of the game, Hollermann appeared to be intent on asserting her will on the opposition. She started the game in a double big set on the right wing with Natalie Schneider, and when the Spanish defenders opted not to jump her, she wasted no time to go into her shooting motion and delivered the ball perfectly through the net. She followed up with the exact same set on the next play and, when the defenders jumped, she made the next read in the progression delivering a timely pass to Schneider for the layup.
With the exception of a brief 30 second window
towards the end of the first quarter, the Americans led the game. Virginia Perez Gutierrez scored a three-pointer to pull Spain ahead 11-10, before Team USA ended the quarter with eight unanswered points (18-11). The Americans finished the first stanza with four of five starters scoring with a blend of outside and inside conversions.Head Coach, Trooper Johnson, emphasized the importance of being resilient after the loss to Netherlands on day one.
“We talked with the team about the importance of embracing the pressure that teams will put on us. We broke down how we should attack the pressure defense, and I think the team did a good job,” he said.
One adjustment that stood out in this game was the higher volume of pick and roll opportunities that ended in an entry pass into the paint. Co-Captain, Natalie Schneider, was the beneficiary of that adjustment as she hit a perfect six for six from the field.
“Today, we did a better job in the pick and roll of recognizing where the ball needs to go and delivering it, particularly as the defense was aggressively jumping our shooter,” said Coach Johnson.
Another impressive stat line was that of Courtney Ryan who was finishing from a variety of locations on the court (18 points), and had seven rebounds and assists. She played a major role in the 36-14 second half. One of the assists that got the most attention from her bench was when she worked a two-man game on the right wing with fellow first time Paralympian, Bailey Moody. The southpaw from the University of Alabama caught the entry pass, eyed the basket, and used her trademark feathery touch to place the ball into the hoop. The excitement throughout Ariake Arena was undeniable and you’re quickly reminded of just how close these athletes become on a Paralympic journey.
Moody described the moment when she sunk her first basket on the world stage.
“There was so much adrenaline going that I wasn’t really thinking,” she said. “So many people have been very involved in this experience, helping to get me here. The support has been amazing.”
Rose Hollermann spoke on the impact of the rookie athletes making their Paralympic debuts.
“The best part of today’s game was seeing the girls that got their first minutes and Bailey hit that basket. They were able to begin their legacy today,” she said.
Hollermann could have talked about her 62% shooting after an and 1 and a reverse layup that she kissed perfectly off the glass, but chose to recognize her teammates. Culture, as they say, is the secret sauce and USA has something good cooking in Tokyo.
The Women play China on Saturday, August 28 at 9:00 at Musashino Forest Sports Complex.
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