The Gophers contingent on the U.S. Olympic women’s basketball and volleyball teams helped the U.S. start the London Games with a perfect record.

Former Gophers guard Lindsay Whalen and her Minnesota Lynx teammates Maya Moore and Seimone Augustus helped the U.S. to an 81-56 win over Croatia on Saturday and a 90-38 destruction of Angola on Monday.

None of the three women has started for her country yet, but each has still made an impact.

In Whalen’s 39 minutes in two games, she has scored 18 points with six assists. Moore has played 31 minutes, scoring 15 points with six assists. Augustus has played 37 minutes, scoring 15 points with three assists.

The U.S. will face undefeated Turkey on Wednesday as it continues group play. In its final exhibition match before the Olympics, the U.S. defeated Turkey 80-61.

Volleyball

Former Gophers setter Lindsey Berg started both of Team USA’s matches, led by head coach Hugh McCutcheon, who will begin coaching the Gophers this fall.

The U.S. beat South Korea three sets to one Saturday. The world’s top-ranked team easily won the first two sets 25-19  and 25-17. The Americans stumbled in the third set, losing 25-20, but managed to finish the match in the fourth set, 25-21.

On Monday, the U.S. defeated reigning Olympic champion and second-ranked Brazil 3-1 in a rematch of the 2008 Olympic final, which Brazil won.

Similar to their South Korea match, the Americans won the first two sets 25-18 and 25-17. Brazil came back to with the third set 25-22, but the U.S. sealed the win in the fourth, 25-21.

In the first two matches, Berg had 201 sets, 27 digs, 15 blocks, 10 spikes and 26 serves.

The U.S. will face China in its next pool-play game Wednesday.