The way Rose Hollermann and Courtney Ryan put it, Team USA is “12 deep”.
All 12 players have a role. They’re made for any moment. Ryan said they’re always ready to go and always ready to fight. Hollermann said that no matter who is brought on from the sidelines, the U.S.’s will to win remains the same.
“You could see it on our bench,” Hollermann said. “We love playing basketball with each other and for each other. Just us being there with one another and getting to compete on the court again boosts our morale.”
In Team USA’s first two outings in the 2023 Parapan American Games, all 12 players notched points. And though Tuesday’s 87-26 victory over Argentina only produced nine U.S. scorers, Hollermann and Ryan cited their team’s versatility across all its roster spots as the driving force behind a perfect 3-0 start.
“I think one of the biggest successes that we have in this tournament is that no matter who is in, it stays strong and it stays competitive,” Ryan said. “It’s an incredible thing to have a team that is 12 deep.”
Three Argentianian turnovers in the opening four minutes translated into a series of early baskets and a 12-2 lead for Team USA. First, Natalie Schneider led the charge, converting twice in close, before Hollermann took over.
By the end of the first quarter, Hollermann had found her sweet spot — a few steps right of the free throw line. With teammates continuing to find her, recognizing Hollermann’s hot hand, she poured in a rapid eight points to give the U.S. a 22-9 lead heading into the second period. And despite its commanding advantage, the United States continued to push.
Off of a Hollermann miss at the free throw line, Ryan corralled the offensive rebound. Glancing up, she found a wide-open Ixhelt Gonzalez for an uncontested layup.
Then, after a Rebecca Murray make from 3 to give Team USA a 38-9 cushion, it set up in a suffocating full-court press — a new look formation that hadn’t been prevalent in the U.S.’s opening two victories.
“We did that because we wanted to focus on what’s next and try to get better as a team,” Hollermann said about the press. “We really are looking to have that as something we improve on and that we can use as a tool in tougher games.”
Offensively, the United States faced no real difficulty getting the looks it wanted. With just under three minutes remaining in the opening half, Murray went coast-to-coast, untouched, to finish with a left-handed lay-in. On an inbounds play shortly after, Ryan fired a cross-court pass to Murray, who delivered a pass down low to Bailey Moody for another bucket.
Entering the second half holding a 48-13 lead, the U.S. enjoyed a seamless transition from its starters to its bench players after introducing several of its substitutes. At the 6:04 mark in the third quarter, Josephine Dehart swiped possession from Argentina’s Mariana Perez near halfcourt and went the other way. Winning the race downcourt, she kissed a shot off the glass for her first basket of the game.
On another successful fast break, Ryan stuck out her off-hand to deflect a pass and pushed out onto the open floor. Streaking down the left sideline with no one in front of her, she rattled in a two-handed layup to extend the deficit to 67-18. Ryan, who tallied a game-high in points last time out, finished with 14 against Argentina.
Throughout the contest’s final period, Gonzalez dropped in two layups, to become one of five double-digit scorers for the U.S., before she gave way to another complete lineup turnover.
Already ahead by an insurmountable amount, Team USA was likely testing out new partnerships to further its chemistry and keep everyone fresh — a group that still managed to outscore Argentina 17-4.
“They’re ready to go, they’re ready to fight,” Ryan said about her teammates, both starters and substitutes. “We’ve got them dogs in us. We’ve got them dogs in us.”
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