Their quest for a third straight gold may have ended prematurely, but Norway reclaimed some of that hurt pride after a dominant performace in the bronze medal match.
Norway wasted absolutely no time imposing their will on the Dutch.
The Norwegian defense gave the Netherlands no leeway on the fast break and quickly closed up the gaps on all sides, making it incredibly difficult for Nycke Groot to move the ball around to her teammates. The Netherlands were forced to slow the play down because of the Norwegian defense, and Norway quickly pounced to steal the ball and work the fast break.
Norway got up to an early 9-2 lead within the first 10 minutes.
The Norwegians continued to suffocate the Dutch offense, stumping them from forcing the momentum in transitional play.
Nora Mork, Heidi Loke, Amanda Kurtovic and Camilla Herrem ran Netherlands ragged on the other end of the court. They were nearly impossible to defend as Norway’s superior passing and movement off the ball kept opening gaps by the Netherlands.
The Dutch needed to find their rhythm in the second half, but Norway’s ironclad defense brought the Dutch to a near standstill.