Taurasi helps US team reach World Cup gold-medal game

SAN CRISTOBAL DE LA LAGUNA, Spain — Just as it has done for most of the tournament, the U.S. used a big third quarter keyed by Diana Tauarsi and Breanna Stewart to pull away from an opponent.

This time, it was Belgium, whose one-point halftime deficit turned into 16 by the end of the third period. Taurasi finished with 26 points, including hitting five 3-pointers, to help the U.S. win 93-77 on Saturday in the semifinals of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.

“We got some stops, they are a really good team. They’ve been playing together for a long time, you can tell,” Taurasi said of the third quarter in which the U.S. outscored Belgium 33-18. “We got a couple more stops, we made a couple more plays on offense, wore them down a little bit.”

Breanna Stewart added 20 points while Brittney Griner had 16 for the Americans, who will be going for a third straight gold medal at the worlds — something the country has never done.

“That’s what we’re here for,” said Elena Delle Donne, who is on her first World Cup team.

The U.S. has won 21 consecutive World Cup games and will play Australia or Spain for the title Sunday. The players took the diplomatic route, saying they didn’t care which team they faced for the gold.

Belgium, making its first appearance in the World Cup, was led by Emma Meesseman’s 23 points. The Belgians already had surpassed their goal of reaching the quarterfinals. A bronze medal would be an excellent achievement.

“I don’t know who is going to play us,” Meesseman said. “I know we’re going to give all we have left.”

Belgium hung around for 25 minutes thanks to Meesseman and solid outside shooting. The score was 52-52 midway through the third quarter before the U.S. closed the period with a 21-5 run. Griner, Stewart and Jewell Loyd keyed the spurt. Belgium came no closer than 14 the rest of the way.

Meesseman got her team going early, scoring 13 points in the opening quarter as Belgium shot 56 percent to lead 26-21 after one quarter.

HELPER MARK: Sue Bird is now one assist shy of matching Dawn Staley’s career mark of 103 for USA Basketball at the World Cup. She had seven against Belgium to match her bestever in the Worlds.

Staley, when hearing that Bird was one assist away, joked that “she’s not playing.”

Bird was honored to have a shot at her coach’s mark.

“I think anytime you can break a record, it’s one of those things later, when it’s all said and done, you have a true appreciation. This one is a little different when it is someone like Dawn who’s holding it.”