Sandra Perkovic landed the one that mattered, heaving a 69.21 in women’s discus throw to successfully defend her gold medal on Tuesday in Rio.
The 26-year-old nabbed Croatia’s third track and field medal all-time, finishing ahead of France’s Melina Robert-Michon and Cuba’s Denia Caballero.
The United States did not have a finalist in the competition.
SYDNEY — A’ja Wilson and the U.S. put on quite a show, breaking the World Cup scoring mark in a record rout of South Korea.
Brionna Jones scored 24 points and Wilson added 20 to help the U.S. beat South Korea 145-69 on Monday. Shakira Austin’s layup with 9 seconds left helped the Americans break Brazil’s record of 143 points set in 1990.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been part of a team that can score the basketball like this,” Wilson said. “This is crazy, we put up 145 points. I think when you look at us and just knowing how talented we are, we just came together and we play together very, very well.”
The U.S. always has the most talented and deepest roster of any team in the World Cup with 12 WNBA stars on the roster. Still, the Americans had never come close to that sort of offensive output during it’s storied World Cup history. The previous team record was 119 points against Angola in 2014 and China in 2006. The scoring margin was also the biggest in U.S. history as well surpassing the 75-point win over Angola in 2014.
The win was also the 26th in a row in World Cup play for the Americans, who haven’t lost since the 2006 semifinals when they fell to Russia. The U.S. also won 26 in a row from 1994-2006. The Soviet Union holds the World Cup record with 56 straight wins from 1959-1986.
MORE: FIBA World Cup Results
What started with Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi and Sylvia Fowles has now been passed on to Breanna Stewart and Wilson. A legacy of excellence that doesn’t look like it’s ending anytime soon.
The U.S. (4-0), which has been playing stellar defense, was challenged by South Korea early. The teams were trading baskets for the first 8 minutes and it was tied at 21 before the Americans took control, scoring the final 11 points of the period.
Kahleah Copper came off the bench for the first time of the tournament and scored six points during that spurt. The Americans kept the streak going to start the second quarter, scoring nine of the first 11 points to put the game away.
By the time the game reached the half the U.S. was up 68-40, including scoring 44 points in the paint against the undersized Koreans.
“We were trying to get the ball inside,” Jones said. “We had an advantage there.”
The only suspense in the second half was how many records the Americans could break. They took down their own scoring mark on Sabrina Ionescu’s 3-pointer with 6:15 left in the game and kept putting up points with Austin’s layup capping off the contest.
Other records broken on Monday included the 62 field goals made, 36 assists and 94 points in the paint.
“Our size was a problem for them and I thought we shared the ball,” U.S. coach Cheryl Reeve said.
The Americans were well rested for the game after having their first day off of the tournament on Sunday.
Despite the rout, South Korea (1-3) can still advance to the quarterfinals with a win over Puerto Rico on Tuesday.
Leeseul Kang, who had 37 points in a win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, scored 10 points. Hyejin Park had 17 to lead the team.
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The U.S. goes for its fourth consecutive title at the FIBA World Cup in Sydney — and eighth global gold in a row overall when including the Olympics.
A’ja Wilson, a two-time WNBA MVP, and Breanna Stewart, the Tokyo Olympic MVP, headline a U.S. roster that, for the first time since 2000, includes neither Sue Bird (retired) nor Diana Taurasi (injured).
The new-look team includes nobody over the age of 30 for the first time since 1994, before the U.S. began its dynasty at the 1996 Atlanta Games. The Americans have won 52 consecutive games between worlds and the Olympics dating to the 2006 Worlds bronze-medal game.
The field also includes host Australia, the U.S.’ former primary rival, and Olympic silver medalist Japan.
Nigeria, which played the U.S. the closest of any foe in Tokyo (losing by nine points), isn’t present after its federation withdrew the team over governance issues. Spain, ranked second in the world, failed to qualify.
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Follow @nbcolympictalk2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup Schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Game | Round |
| Wed., Sept. 21 | 8:30 p.m. | Puerto Rico 82, Bosnia and Herzegovina 58 | Group A |
| 9:30 p.m. | USA 87, Belgium 72 | Group A | |
| 11 p.m. | Canada 67, Serbia 60 | Group B | |
| Thurs., Sept. 22 | 12 a.m. | Japan 89, Mali 56 | Group B |
| 3:30 a.m. | China 107, South Korea 44 | Group A | |
| 6:30 a.m. | France 70, Australia 57 | Group B | |
| 8:30 p.m. | USA 106, Puerto Rico 42 | Group A | |
| 10 p.m. | Serbia 69, Japan 64 | Group B | |
| 11 p.m. | Belgium 84, South Korea 61 | Group A | |
| Fri., Sept. 23 | 12:30 a.m. | China 98, Bosnia and Herzegovina 51 | Group A |
| 4 a.m. | Canada 59, France 45 | Group B | |
| 6:30 a.m. | Australia 118, Mali 58 | Group B | |
| Sat., Sept. 24 | 12:30 a.m. | USA 77, China 63 | Group A |
| 4 a.m. | South Korea 99, Bosnia and Herzegovina 66 | Group A | |
| 6:30 a.m. | Belgium 68, Puerto Rico 65 | Group A | |
| Sun., Sept. 25 | 12:30 a.m. | France 74, Mali 59 | Group B |
| 4 a.m. | Australia 69, Serbia 54 | Group B | |
| 6:30 a.m. | Canada 70, Japan 56 | Group B | |
| 9:30 p.m. | Belgium 85, Bosnia and Herzegovina 55 | Group A | |
| 11:30 p.m. | Serbia 81, Mali 68 | Group B | |
| Mon., Sept. 26 | 12 a.m. | USA 145, South Korea 69 | Group A |
| 2 a.m. | France 67, Japan 53 | Group B | |
| 3:30 a.m. | China vs. Puerto Rico | Group A | |
| 6:30 a.m. | Australia vs. Canada | Group B | |
| 9:30 p.m. | Puerto Rico vs. South Korea | Group A | |
| 11:30 p.m. | Belgium vs. China | Group A | |
| Tues., Sept. 27 | 12 a.m. | USA vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina | Group A |
| 2 a.m. | Canada vs. Mali | Group B | |
| 3:30 a.m. | France vs. Serbia | Group B | |
| 6:30 a.m. | Australia vs. Japan | Group B | |
| Wed., Sept. 28 | 10 p.m. | Quarterfinal | |
| Thurs., Sept. 29 | 12:30 a.m. | Quarterfinal | |
| 4 a.m. | Quarterfinal | ||
| 6:30 a.m. | Quarterfinal | ||
| Fri., Sept. 30 | 3 .m. | Semifinal | |
| 5:30 a.m. | Semifinal | ||
| 11 p.m. | Third-Place Game | ||
| Sat., Oct. 1 | 2 a.m. | Final |
