The U.S. men’s and women’s basketball teams both received sobering wake-up calls over the weekend in the lead-up to the Olympics.
The men barely avoided what would have been an all-time epic upset with their 101-100 victory in an exhibition Saturday against a South Sudan team that it was favored to beat by more than 40 points.
Later that night, the women suffered a 117-109 loss to the WNBA All-Stars against players including Arike Ogunbowale and Caitlin Clark, who will not represent Team USA at the Paris Games this summer.
Neither the men nor the women held their heads following Saturday’s eye-opening exhibitions. Instead, they shared similar sentiments about learning from their shortcomings before the Olympics begin this Friday.
“I did not do a great job preparing our team,” men’s head coach Steve Kerr said. “We did not focus enough on what they’re capable of, and that’s on me. I think that really allowed South Sudan to gain confidence early.”
“They were great,” Kerr continued of South Sudan. “They played a wonderful game and the ending was good for us, just to feel that, to feel what it’s going to be like in Paris and Lille.”
Team USA trailed by as many as 16 points against a South Sudan team that is representing a country that this month celebrated its 13th anniversary of gaining independence from Sudan.
LeBron James’ layup with eight seconds remaining completed the comeback against South Sudan, which is set to compete in its first Olympics this year.
“I’m going to be honest, I like those ones better than the blowouts,” James said as he walked into the tunnel. “At least we get tested.”
Seeking its fifth consecutive gold medal and its 17th in 20 Olympic appearances, the U.S. men’s team boasts a star-powered but older roster led by James, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry and Joel Embiid.
The women, meanwhile, are seeking their eighth consecutive gold medal and 10th overall. They similarly lost to the WNBA All-Stars in 2021 before going undefeated in those Olympics.
“We’ll take this one on the chin and keep moving forward,” said Liberty star Breanna Stewart, who scored 31 points in Saturday’s loss. “We don’t want to peak too soon and we know we can improve on a lot. … We’re excited to get to London and just really focus on this team and what our ultimate goal is.”
Ogunbowale scored an All-Star Game record 34 points, all in the second half. The Dallas Wings star withdrew her name for Olympic consideration months ago, saying recently on the “Nightcap” podcast that the team selects players based more on fit than talent.
Saturday also saw Clark dish out 10 assists in her All-Star debut, while fellow rookie Angel Reese added 12 points and 11 rebounds.
“This is going to help us tremendously,” Stewart said. “We can go back and watch the film, focus on how we can continue to be better. It was like a little bit of [a] deja vu feeling, honestly, but just locking in.”
