RIO DE JANEIRO (Rio 2016 Olympic Games) - Spain couldn't have started the Rio Olympics any better than with their 65-59 win over European champions Serbia on Sunday.

As they prepare to face the World and Olympics champions the USA on Monday, Marta Xargay, who led the Spaniards in their Group B opener with a team-high 15 points off the bench, talked to FIBA.com. 

FIBA.com: How significant was is to start the Olympics with a win?
Xargay: It was very important for us to start with a win. Even though things didn't work out the way we wanted to at the beginning of the game, we have to be proud. It was a tough game against the European champions. It’s a big step towards our goals here in the Rio Olympics. It makes you feel more comfortable. But we are taking one game a time.

FIBA.com: Given the fact that this is your first Olympics, and you have played so many international tournaments in your career, how does this tournament rank in terms of competitiveness?
Xargay: We knew beforehand that the Olympics is highly competitive. Teams tend to play with a lot more aggressiveness. Every game is like a final. They play really tough for a win.

FIBA.com: At some point in the game against Serbia, Laia Palau, one of the few players on this team who played in the Olympics eight years ago, started shouting at some of you late in the fourth quarter. Was that a reaction that you expected from her?
Xargay: It's a normal attitude. She is our leader and we look at her when things aren't working for us. At that time, I think we weren't doing what we were supposed to be doing. She was right because she knows what we have to do on the court. When I look at her I just calm down.

FIBA.com: Sancho Lyttle is a big piece of this Spanish team, but unfortunately she is not here because of an injury. How much does her absence affect the team?
Xargay: Let's be honest, without her on the team, it's different for sure. We miss her aggressiveness, but the team is what it is and we have to keep playing the way we are now. It's all about the team, not only about one player.

FIBA.com: Astou Ndour replaced Lyttle on the team. What to do you make of her performance against Serbia? She led the team with 12 rebounds, and also added 11 points. 
Xargay: She is important for us. She is big, she is able to rebound the ball, she can score, and she is always there. I don’t think there is a player for us like her in Spain. We are happy to have her on the team.

FIBA.com: This is your first Olympics. What do you make of it so far?
Xargay: It's really amazing to be here with other athletes. It's a dream come true for me. I am just enjoying every single moment, but there is a job to be done here in Rio.

FIBA.com: You have said this win [against Serbia] was a big step toward your goals in Rio. Can you elaborate what goals are you aiming for?
Xargay: We hope to go as far as we can. 

FIBA