In a tense Olympic women’s basketball quarter-final match, USA forward Breanna Stewart highlighted the team’s preparedness after their 88-74 victory over Nigeria’s D’Tigress.

The Americans recorded a 13-point win over D’Tigress, who had already beaten Australia and Canada, the world ranked number 3 and 5 respectively.

The win is the USA’s closest margin in an Olympic quarter-finals, contrasting with their previous seven games, each won by 15 or more points.

“We’re feeling really good as we got a lot of great contributions from everyone. We had to make sure that we came out with the right mindset and mentality,” said Stewart.

“We knew how Nigeria played and we had to be ready for the physicality. It’s amazing to play in front of different fans whether it is here in Paris or in Lille at these Olympics.”

The defending champions, the USA team, aim to retain their title, with Stewart emphasizing their high standards and legacy.

“[The USA program] It’s the gold standard as we expect to go and win gold. We know that everything leading up to this was hugely important. We know that we carry a lot because of those who have played before us,” Stewart added.