First Women's Youth Olympic Games -- 2010

2010 USA Women's Youth Olympic Games Team 2010 USA RESULTS (6-1) USA 30 Angola 8 USA 34 Singapore 11 USA 33 Germany 6 USA 33 Belarus 5 USA 34 Korea 10 Australia 25 (OT) USA 23 USA 34 Canada 16 2010 WOMEN'S YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES FINAL STANDINGS 1. China (7-0) 11. Russia (4-3) 2. Australia (5-2) 12. Belarus (3-4) 3. USA (6-1) 13. Czech Rep. (4-3) 4. Canada (5-2) 14. Mali (2-5) 5. Japan (5-2) 15. Ivory Coast (2-5) 6. Brazil (4-3) 16. Angola (1-6) 7. S. Korea (4-3) 17. Thailand (3-4) 8. Germany (3-4) 18. Chile (2-5) 9. Italy (6-1) 19. Singapore (1-6) 10. France (4-3) 20. Vanuatu (0-7)

Led by USA head coach Kathy Richey-Walton, the U.S. Women’s Youth Olympic Games team wasted no time making its statement at *scape Youth Space, site of the basketball competitions at the first-ever Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

Beating its first opponent, Angola, 30-8, Kiah Stokes led the U.S. in scoring with 12 points, and Amber Henson added 10, while Briyona Canty had five rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots.

Stokes, a 6-3 forward, continued her dominant post play in her team’s second preliminary round game, scoring 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting in a 34-11 rout of host nation Singapore to give the U.S. a 2-0 record. Both Canty and Andraya Carter each shot 3-of-3 from the field to score six points.

While Stokes led the U.S. in scoring in its first two games, Henson, also a 6-3 forward, took control in the paint in the United States’ 33-6 win over Germany, scoring a game-high 14 points, while Canty added four assists and three steals.

The U.S. went to 4-0 with another strong game from Stokes and Henson in a 33-5 win over Belarus. Stokes had a game-high 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while Henson shot 5-of-7 for 10 points. The win gave the U.S. a perfect record in preliminary round play and a first-place finish in Group B.

The U.S. showed no signs of a letdown in its medal quarterfinal game against Korea, and again Stokes and Henson led the way in a 34-10 victory. Henson was the leading scorer this time with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while Stokes shot 5-of-7 for 10 points, and both grabbed four rebounds to lead the U.S. into a medal semifinal game against Australia.

Despite an 11-point performance from Stokes and eight more points from Carter, Australia stunned the United States in the medal semifinal round, 25-23, in overtime. Australia shot just 21.9 percent from the field, but overcame a 15-7 deficit after the first half to tie the game at 20 after both five-minute regulation halves, and outscored the U.S., 5-3, in the extra period.

The U.S., though, used the loss as motivation in the bronze medal game against Canada. The U.S. women held Canada to just 17.4 percent shooting and won, 34-16, to capture the bronze medal. This time, Canty led the way with 15 points, and Stokes followed with 10 points and five rebounds.

Although China would eventually win the gold medal with a win over Australia, the United States had an impressive tournament. Overall, the U.S. outscored its opponents, 31.6-11.6, a 20-point margin of victory. Also, the U.S. shot 46.4 percent from the field for the tournament and held its opponents to a meager 18.8 percent in the same category.

Stokes finished as the team’s leading scorer (12.3 ppg.) and rebounder (4.0 rpg.), while Henson scored 8.7 ppg. Carter averaged 5.4 ppg., and Canty 5.1 ppg. Canty also had 3.7 apg.