Day 5: USA v. Paris 92, USA v. Israel

This was our first day of competition in Paris. After a training session in the morning, we went back to CREPS to shower, eat, and get prepared for the afternoon games which started at 2:30pm.

We arrived in the gym, and played Paris 92, a side selected of players from one particular region in Paris. The game started off poorly, with Paris taking an early lead of 0-7. After a time-out in which Coach Latulippe refocused his players, everyone got back on track to win the game 19-17, with a pretty good looking second half.

After the game, the WNT had a small break during which they watched Israel play Paris and lose by a few points. Perhaps this built everyone's confidence too much, because when we played Israel, we let them take a lead, finishing the game 25-17. Needless to say, no one was pleased with these results, especially since we all realized that Israel was a team we could beat. They played a quick game, and with a smart defense and a strong ability to fast break.

Once everyone had showered, we returned to CREPS where we ate dinner and called it a night....lots to think about if want to win these games during the "official" tournament!