US （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域s Senegal 87-67 in World Cup opener
TENERIFE, Spain (AP) - U.S. coach 夜明け Staley knows her team is a work in 進歩.
With a 欠如（する） of training time as a group, each game is an 適切な時期 to 改善する chemistry on the 法廷，裁判所.
The opener against Senegal didn't start out 井戸／弁護士席, with the Americans 追跡するing Senegal by eight points before wearing the African nation 負かす／撃墜する in an 87-67 victory on Saturday in the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup.
"We've had more actual games then we've had practices," Staley said. "That's what you saw on the 床に打ち倒す. いつかs didn't look as clean as we'd like it to be."
Elena Delle Donne 得点する／非難する／２０d 19 points and Nneka Ogwumike 追加するd 16 to lead the U.S.
The two teams played six days ago and the Americans 巡航するd to a 51-point victory. For the first 15 minutes in this one, Senegal was the more 積極的な team. The African nation took a 10-2 lead 早期に on much to the delight of fans who were singing and waving the country's 旗 proudly. When the U.S. took a 15-12 advantage, Senegal answered with five straight points to take the lead again.
The game was tied at 25 中途の through the second ４半期/4分の1 before the U.S. started to 主張する its dominance. The Americans (1-0) の近くにd the half with a 20-6 run 重要なd by 告訴する Bird and Diana Taurasi to take a 14-point lead at the break.
Senegal tried to hang around in the third ４半期/4分の1 and only lost the period by three points, but it could get no closer than 15 in the final 10 minutes, when the U.S. pulled away.
"Senegal played a 広大な／多数の／重要な game, （機の）カム out 最高の strong and （機の）カム out 最高の 積極的な, we had to play our way through the game," Delle Donne said. "Like 夜明け said, we have a lot of depth and the game is 40 minutes long. We're still getting used to playing together. We've only had a couple days. We need to continue to get better."
The victory was the Americans' 17th in a 列／漕ぐ／騒動 in the tournament and 42nd in the past 43 games in the World Cup. The only blemish over the past 20 years was a loss to Russia in the 準決勝 of the 2006 World Cup.
Bird has been a part of most of those 勝利，勝つs. She is playing a U.S. 記録，記録的な／記録する fifth World Cup. She has won three gold メダルs and could become the first player ever to 勝利，勝つ four. Bird was still wearing a mask to cover her 直面する after breaking her nose in the WNBA プレーオフs.
Bird and Seattle 嵐／襲撃する チーム仲間s Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd showed up earlier this week after winning the WNBA 選手権. The Americans have had the entire team together for only a few days, and building 連続 on the 法廷，裁判所 will be 重要な during pool play.
In the past, the Americans have had a 一貫した 核心 of players. This team has six players who got their first World Cup experience: Delle Donne, Loyd, Layshia Clarendon, Morgan Tuck, A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum. Delle Donne played for the U.S. in the 2016 Olympics but 行方不明になるd the 2014 world 選手権 because of a thumb 傷害.
She 苦しむd a bone bruise in the WNBA プレーオフs and is still 回復するing.
Khairy Sarr Oumoul 得点する／非難する／２０d 18 points for Senegal (0-1), which fell to 0-5 against the U.S. in the World Cup かつてない. The U.S. won the first four 会合s by an 普通の／平均（する） of nearly 53 points.
"This is a good way to 上げる our 信用／信任. We can use it as a 動機づけ," Senegal coach Cheikh Sarr said.
SIDELINED BRITTNEY: The U.S. was without Brittney Griner on Saturday after she tweaked her ankle in practice. She is day to day. Griner wasn't worried about the 傷害, joking that they turned on the gravity in the gym and that's why she 負傷させるd her ankle. Had it been an 排除／予選 game, the Americans' 星／主役にする 中心 says she would have been on the 法廷，裁判所.
"Even if I lost the whole 脚 I would have played," she said, smiling.
LOOKING FOR A W: African nations have struggled in the World Cup, 落ちるing to 6-90 in the 競争 since it first began in 1953. Senegal has been the most successful, winning four times. Nigeria lost to Australia earlier Saturday.
OTHER SCORES: 中国 def eated Latvia 64-61 in the other game in the same pool as the U.S. フラン （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域 South Korea 89-58; Australia topped Nigeria 86-68; Turkey 大勝するd Argentina 63-37 and Canada （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域 Greece 81-50. Spain （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域 Japan 84-71 and Belgium 大勝するd Puerto Rico 86-36.
UP NEXT
Senegal: Will play Latvia on Sunday.
U.S.: Will play 中国 on Sunday.
