A’ja Wilson of SC & USA women’s basketball return to court against Belgium in Olympics. Here’s when

Team USA women’s basketball returns to the court Thursday as a favorite to defeat Belgium in the Paris Olympics.

On the team is Columbia’s own A’ja Wilson, once a star at the University of South Carolina and now a superstar as a forward for the Las Vegas Aces. She was the first overall pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft.

The United States’ women’s national basketball team has been undefeated at the Olympics since 1992 and Wilson, 27, was on the team in 2020 for the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Also on the team in Paris are Brittney Griner and Breanna Stewart.

The team beat Japan in its opening game Monday 102-76. Wilson and Stewart, who plays for the New York Liberty, combined for 46 points on 21-of-31 shooting. Griner of the Phoenix Mercury, Kelsey Plum of the Aces and Sabrina Ionescu of the Liberty each added 11.

Wilson led the team with 24 points, 13 rebounds. Stewart ended with 22 points and eight rebounds.

The win extends the US team’s Olympic win streak to 56 games.

Wilson started playing basketball when she was 11 years old. Her father, Roscoe Wilson Jr. played at Benedict College and professionally in Europe for 10 years.

She attended Heathwood Hall in Columbia. While at USC, Wilson helped lead the team to its first NCAA National Championship. She considers USC coach Dawn Staley her second mother.

The game against Belgium begins at 3 p.m., Eastern. They play Germany at 11:15 a.m. Sunday.