Bochum, Germany — In a gritty and defensively focused contest, Team USA suffered its first loss of the 3×3 women’s wheelchair basketball tournament on Thursday afternoon, falling to Germany 9–6 at the Jahrhunderthalle in Bochum.

After a dominant showing earlier in the day against Brazil, the Americans struggled to generate consistent offense against a German team that applied pressure on every possession and capitalized on second-chance scoring opportunities. The result moved both teams to 1–1 in Pool A with one game remaining in round-robin play.

Anesia Glascoe led the U.S. with 3 points and 7 rebounds. She played the full 10 minutes and was the primary interior presence on both ends of the floor, finishing with two blocked shots and a game-high in total defensive rebounds. “We definitely knew they were coming harder,” Glascoe said postgame. “They have a little bit more height than the last team, so we knew we had to work a little bit harder—definitely talk more on defense and kind of just work around those picks.”

Hannah Exline added one point and two rebounds, while Marlee Wagstaff made her only shot attempt and added two boards in just under four minutes of action. Elizabeth Becker contributed a made free throw and a rebound in six minutes off the bench. All four U.S. players saw the floor and contributed defensively, but turnovers and extended German possessions proved difficult to overcome.

Team USA shot 38 percent (5-for-13) from the field but committed 13 turnovers, including several during a critical stretch as Germany went on a 6–0 run to build an 8–2 advantage. Despite tightening up in the closing minutes, the Americans could not string together enough scoring opportunities to close the gap.

Germany was led by Catharina Weiss, who scored 4 points and converted 3-of-4 field goals. Lilly Sellak added 2 points and 7 rebounds despite going 2-for-11 from the field. Germany outrebounded the U.S. 16–15 and recorded 5 offensive boards and 6 takeaways that helped shift the tempo in their favor.

With a home crowd behind them, Germany also brought a different kind of pressure—volume. “Communication is usually one of our strong suits—we’re a loud team,” Glascoe said. “But the gym was loud, and I think that kind of got into our heads. Once they went on the run, it was a bit harder to stay in the game. So definitely just trying to stay composed throughout the entire game.”

She also pointed to team communication as a key adjustment heading into the final group game. “Definitely a lot more talk. This game was a lot more fast-paced. Like you saw earlier, the game [against Brazil] was a bit more slower. So we have to just kind of come out there from the beginning.”

Despite the result, Glascoe spoke with gratitude about the opportunity. “It’s an amazing feeling. Every time I get asked [about representing the United States], I kind of get lost for words because I never thought that I would have this experience,” she said. “I never thought I would have this opportunity or even be here to compete on a stage like this. So no, it’s a blessing. And it’s definitely something I’ll never forget.”

Team USA returns to the court Friday against Spain in the final game of pool play. All four teams in Pool A will advance to Sunday’s semifinals, with seeding implications still to be determined. will advance to Sunday’s semifinals, with seeding implications still to be determined.