However, the Japanese showed they can also dance around the court, taking advantage of seven three-pointers in the first half from Rui Machida and Mai Yamamoto. At just 1.62m tall, they proved they can still be dangerous and daring.

Host France pulled off a major upset in Group C after coming back from a first-half deficit to beat Canada 75-54.

Canada, ranked fifth, suffered from a surge by the seventh-place host nation, scoring just two points in the second quarter, the fewest points ever scored by a team in a single quarter at the Olympics, for both men and women.

French midfielder Marieme Badiane and forward Gabby Williams were the heroes of the ‘allez les bleues’ evening. The duo received a thunderous applause after the match and posed for selfies with the crowd.

On a day full of surprises, favorite Belgium started the Olympic Games badly. In Group B they lost 83-69 to debutant Germany.

Belgium were partly completed by the dynamic German sisters Sabally, Satou and Nyara, who scored 33 points together.