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Team USA Women's Basketball defeats Canada in exhibition game

Team USA defeated Canada 76-51 Monday night in its first exhibition game of the pre-world championship circuit. Leading by four at the half, the U.S. scored 13 points to open the third quarter. Veterans Sue Bird and Lindsay Whalen sparked the go-ahead run, and Tina Charles contributed seven points.

Newcomers Skylar Diggins and Odyssey Sims showed that they're ready to contribute in Turkey, if they make the final cut. Sims hit a 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer, giving the U.S. a 57-41 advantage.

"I thought the young guys, when they came in, gave us a lot of energy. They really changed the tempo of the game and we were able to extend our defense a little bit," coach Geno Auriemma told ESPN.

The game was a good chemistry test for the team, as the women only started playing together last week. Some of the stars, including Diana Taurasi, missed training camp and Monday night's game because of the WNBA Finals. As they return, Sims and Diggins could be left off the final roster for Turkey. But first, they'll have another chance to prove their worth.

"We'll find out more when we get to France and when we play three games in three days. The competition will be pretty good," Auriemma said.

The team now heads to France for a pre-worlds tournament against much tougher competition, facing Australia, China, and France. Australia won the gold medal in 2006; the U.S. won in 2010.

"We're still a work in progress, but we're going in the right direction," said WNBA MVP Maya Moore, who had six steals. "We have all the parts and are learning to play together."

Team USA will be look for its ninth world championship title in Istanbul starting Sept. 27.