USA Women's Basketball vs. Croatia: Breaking Down the USA's Win

For three quarters, the result of the women's Olympic basketball game between the U.S. and Croatia was up in the air.

However, in the fourth quarter, things quickly changed as the U.S. outscored the Croatians, 28-9.

But, for three quarters, the Croatians hung with the best team in the world. This was especially surprising considering the U.S. beat the Croatians in an exhibition game on July 21, 109-55.

Here's a look at what the U.S. did right and what they did wrong in their win.

Right: They Won the Game

No matter what happens over the course of the game, if you win, that's all that matters.

When it comes to going for the gold medal, there are no moral victories. You either win or you don't.

Whether you believe the U.S. was exposed by the Croatians or not, in the end they got the job done.

Wrong: Horrible Ball Movement

For a while there, I thought I was watching the U.S. men's team.

Through the first half and into the third quarter, players seemed to not want to give up the ball as they became a black hole of sorts when they got the ball.

Now, I know there were some passes, but it seems like the women were depending on their athleticism to win the game.

But, as Croatia showed, ball movement is the key to scoring, and the U.S. faltered in that early, which is a big reason why I believe the Croatians were down by only three points at halftime.

Right: Great Bench Play

Led by Lindsay Whalen and Angel McCoughtry, the bench for the U.S. was outstanding, as they took over in the second half.

Whalen finished the game with nine points and two assists, while McCoughtry had 13 points and three steals.

While the starters still got their points and played well, it was the bench who sparked the U.S. in the second half and led them to the win.

Wrong: Croatians Can Shoot the Ball from Deep

Although it subsided in the second half, the Croatians showed they can shoot the ball deep.

And, in European basketball, that's not an anomaly.

Generally, every player can shoot the ball from deep, as we saw forwards Luca Ivankovic and Jelena Ivezic make shots from deep.

But, the was put away in the second half as the U.S. took advantage.

Still, the Croatians showed they weren't scared to go up against the U.S.

Right: Tina Charles and Candace Parker

I was very impressed with the way Tina Charles and Candace Parker played throughout the game.

They both looked like they controlled the middle and didn't really let anyone push them around.

Charles's final stat line included 14 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks, while Parker had 11 points and 13 rebounds.

The only thing I would've liked to see them do better is finish inside, but it's only the first game and I'm sure they'll be better the next game.

Wrong: Horrible First Quarter

If you're the favorite to win the gold medal, there's no way you should come out and score 11 points in the first quarter of your first game.

Luckily, Croatia had a horrible time shooting the ball early as well, as they didn't get their first basket until there was 1:59 left on the clock in the first quarter.

For the U.S., however, there's no excuse for their lack of points.

It took more than half the quarter for them to get more than four points, and for the quarter, they shot 5-for-16 in the quarter.

Luckily, it got better as the game went on.

Right: 57 Total Rebounds

Outside of the early woes and their shooting, the U.S. did a great job at rebounding the ball as they grabbed 57 total rebounds, with 20 being on the offensive end.

Compare that to 32 total rebounds for the Croatians, and you can see that the U.S. dominated on the boards.

As the U.S. continues through the tournament, if they can keep this up, they'll have a huge advantage over the rest of the teams.

Final Analysis

The U.S. has some definite kinks to work out, as you can tell they haven't worked together a lot.

But, as they head into their next game, they should start to get better, and by the time the knockout round comes along, they should be hitting on all cylinders.

So, we'll see what happens when they face Angola on Monday.