Women's basketball improves to 4-0

Lisa Leslie had a double-double in a 93-55 win for the United States over Spain in women's basketball.
Leslie scored 14 points and had 11 rebounds as the United States (4-0) stayed undefeated in Olympic play. Spain dropped to 2-2.
But the final score was not indicative of the game. The United States had a 19-4 lead in the first half, but Spain cut the lead to five at halftime.
"I think the team said I jinxed them because I told them to look at the clock and the score was like 19-4 with only two minutes left and then they scored 14 points or something," said Leslie, who plays for the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA. "So that really was a let down, I think they had four 3-pointer in that span, we missed some assignments and we didn't have our rotation. But you know, we needed that, that's a wake-up call. Whenever you give a team the day of light and you don't follow what you're supposed to do defensively, it can hurt you and it hurt us there."
Candace Parker, who also plays for the Los Angeles Sparks, had 13 points and five rebounds. Tina Thompson, a player from Los Angeles on the WNBA's Houston Rockets, led five U.S. players in double figures. She had 17 points and seven rebounds.
"The game was great for us because it allowed us to play from a closer score," Parker said. "Obviously we lost our focus a little bit at the end first quarter but we were able to get it back in the second half."
The United States won by 38 points, but the game was much closer than that and Spain gave the U.S. its first test of the Olympics.
"It's good and bad, I think, it's a Catch 22, because you see us win by so much and then every time that lead gets cut a little less you think 'Oh, the USA is not ready to play' or other than that the other team is really good," Lesie said. "For us we have to fight hard for four quarters, really stick with our defensive schemes and I think we'll be OK. I'm sure the games will become a lot more challenging as we face more talented teams."
Leslie was asked after the game what she thinks are important to be a good team.
"Just understanding the principles that our coaches want us to follow and just really sticking to what our defensive schemes are, then offensively making the right reads and reading the defense," Leslie said. "Basketball is not necessarily that simple, but as far as building the chemistry that's probably been the most amazing part of it. The fact that we understand each other; Tina and I have played together a lot so we understand each other in the post, then Diana (Taurasi) and Sue (Bird) have played together a lot so I think that helps as well."