.Brian Windhorst, ESPN Senior WriterAug 7, 2024, 05:28 PM ETCloseESPN.com NBA writer due to the fact that 2010.Covered Cleveland Cavs for seven years.Writer of pair of booksPARIS-- The combo of A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart has verified to be a devasting combo for the Crew U.S.A. women, relevant where there is actually a scenario building that they can share the Olympics Most Belongings Gamer Award.But there's a new duo emerging, though not an astonishing one, that's proved to become a major increase as the Americans work toward one more gold medal.Las Las vega Aces teammates Kelsey Plum as well as Jackie Young have stepped up to be difference-makers in France and also participated in key parts in Team U.S.A.'s 88-74 victory over Nigeria in the quarterfinals.It indicated the staff's 59th successive Olympic victory as well as puts together a semifinal matchup against Australia, champions over Serbia Wednesday, on Friday at 3 p.m. ET.Jackie Youthful do with double-digit aspects for the second upright game, shooting 60% from the industry in the USA' sway Nigeria. CAROLINE BREHMAN/EPA-EFE/ShutterstockCoach Cheryl Reeve relocated Young into the starting sequence in place of professional Diana Taurasi versus Nigeria, a staff recognized for playing higher stress full-court protection that tests opposing guards.It was a benefit after Youthful scored 19 points with four takes off the seat in the final swimming pool play video game against Germany. She responded along with one more superb functionality, playing with electricity at each ends alongside another Aces teammate, Chelsea Gray, in the backcourt.Young scored 15 points as well as helped bring the U.S. offense early in the activity as the Americans left to a little bit of a slow-moving beginning by their standards.Nigeria lagged by simply four factors midway via the second one-fourth. That is actually when Reeve went to Plum, who was the 12th and also last player to get in the game for the Americans. Plum promptly changed the video game along with her passing away and also velocity on the offending end, giving out three fast aids as well as toenailing a 3-pointer. Plum finished with just 6 aspects but her six-minute shift to end up the first one-half resulted in a plus-11 on the scoreboard to push the bring about 19 at half. The united state after that began the 2nd half on a 15-0 run as well as the tension was done for the evening.Editor's Picks1 RelatedWilson and Stewart, who entered the activity averaging a matching 20.3 scores every game, played their brand of proficient bully round. Wilson placed in 20 points on 9-of-11 firing along with 11 rebounds and also 2 blocks. Stewart had 13 factors on 5-of-7 capturing with five rebounds as well as 3 assists.Brittney Griner came off the bench to score 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting. Those 3 indoor scorers integrating for 16-of-21 is actually challenging to beat.The U.S. went into the activity balancing 29 aids and also once more placed on a ball-sharing facility through assembling 31 more.Promise Amukamara led Nigeria, which reduced the lead to as low as 13 in the 4th quarter, with 19 scores. The game ended along with a little upper hand when the united state's Kahleah Copper received a technological repulsive for tossing the reception at Nigeria's Ezinne Kalu after she racked up in the ultimate secs.