The United States women’s wheelchair basketball team commenced their competition at the 2024 Paris Paralympics with a commanding victory over Germany. Competing at the iconic Bercy Arena on Friday, August 30th, Team USA secured a decisive win with a score of 73-44.

Leading the scoring for the United States, Courtney Ryan contributed 17 points, while Becca Murray added 13 points along with 12 assists. Additionally, Ixhelt Gonzalez made a significant impact with 15 points. The United States effectively exploited Germany’s ten turnovers, turning them into 14 points, while Germany managed to score only two points from Team USA’s four turnovers.

Josie Alakson of Team USA remarked on the match, stating, “It was a great way to set the tone and get the nerves out. We know we have big games ahead, so it is good to have an aggressive match. Germany will always bring their best, and that was an excellent first game for us to have.” She further emphasized the importance of teamwork, noting, “Our biggest thing was to play together and play like we practice. When facing these moments, it is easy to feel pressured to perform beyond our practice level, but we understood that we did not need to alter our approach.”

The United States women’s team is scheduled to compete against the Netherlands, the gold medalists from the Tokyo 2020 Games, on Saturday, August 31st, at 6:15 p.m. CEST, which is equivalent to 12:15 p.m. E.T.

In a parallel event, the Australian men’s wheelchair basketball team faced a challenging match against Spain, resulting in a 68-60 defeat. The Australian team struggled particularly with their three-point shooting, achieving only two out of fifteen attempts. Tom O’Neill-Thorne, reflecting on the match, stated, “They played a really good game. We rallied towards the end, but we did not address our challenges swiftly enough. It is never easy to come back when a team takes a significant lead, but our effort towards the conclusion of the game positions us well for the upcoming match against the United States in two days.”

The Australian and American men’s wheelchair basketball teams are set to compete against each other on Sunday, September 1st, at 10:30 a.m. CEST (4:30 a.m. E.T.).

In another noteworthy performance, Canada’s men’s wheelchair basketball team commenced their Paralympic campaign with a resounding victory over France, winning 83-68. The Canadian team dominated the paint, scoring 44 points compared to France’s 16. Despite the home crowd favoring France, Canada persevered. Vincent Dallarie from the Canadian team expressed pride in their performance, stating, “We came out with intent, executed our game plan, and secured a win, marking an excellent start for us. We anticipated an incredibly loud environment and aimed to communicate effectively amongst ourselves as a unit, regardless of the external atmosphere.”

The Canadian men’s team is set to return to action on Saturday, August 31st, at 12:45 p.m. CEST (6:45 a.m. E.T.) against Great Britain.

As the tournament progresses, all teams are eager to showcase their talents in front of a global audience, and the early matches have set the stage for an exciting competition ahead.

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