Team USA narrowly beat France to take historic gold

Team USA won its eighth straight Olympic gold medal in a row after beating France 67-66 in a pulsating final at the Bercy Arena on Sunday, 11 August.

The win for establishes the U.S. as the best dynasty in team sports in the Olympics. They are the first team, regardless of gender or sport, to win eight straight Olympic golds. The gold medal game was Team USA’s 61st Olympic win in a row. Diana Taurasi became the first team sport athlete to ever win six Olympic golds.

But the win was not at all easy. France led by as many as 10 points. It was a defensive contest with the U.S. shooting 34 per cent and France shooting 32. In the final shot of the game, France’s Gabby Williams hit an outside shot that was just for two as her foot was on the line. If she would have shot from the three, the game would have gone to overtime.

Team USA coach Cheryl Reeve said defense was the key to the win because both teams make it their hallmarks.

“It’s France’s identity. It’s also our identity. That’s why you saw the slugfest that was happening. Neither team could really get to their offensive identities. It comes down to players making plays. That’s what happened in that game,” Reeve said to NBC.

A’ja Wilson had 21 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks. She was everywhere on the court and played more than 33 minutes.

“I’m so proud of the resilience my team showed. We could have folded. We could have crumbled many times. We pulled through. To say that I’m a two-time gold medalist, I’m so blessed,” Wilson said to NBC after the game.

Earlier, Australia beat Belgium 85-81 to take bronze.