2024-08-12 12:55:02
The U.S. women’s basketball team won its straight 8th Olympic gold medal, beating host France by the tightest of margins: 1 point. Team USA won 67 to 66 in a contested final match that came down to the last shot.
Led by A’ja Wilson, who scored 21 points, the U.S. survived a last-second shot by Gabby Williams that was just inside the 3-point line to hold off France.
No team had been able to push the Americans during this impressive streak of 61 consecutive wins. The win was the closest the U.S. has ever won an Olympic gold medal since the 1988 Games when they beat Yugoslavia by seven points. The only other team to keep the U.S. at single digits in a gold medal game was South Korea at the 1984 Games.
“It’s amazing. It truly is a dynasty that we have built here at USAB has been incredible,” Wilson said. “And I am so proud of the resilience that my team showed. We could have fumbled it many times, but we pulled through. To say I am a two-time gold medalist, I am so blessed.”
Michael Conroy / AP
With Sunday’s victory, the U.S. women’s legacy stretches to 61 consecutive wins in Olympic contests. It also breaks a tie with the U.S. men’s program that won seven in a row from 1936-68.
The women’s victory came fewer than 24 hours after the U.S. men’s team also beat France in the title game. This was the first time in Olympic history that both gold medal games featured the same two teams.
Unlike the men’s game, this one came down to the final minute and one last shot by France that was just inside the 3-point line.
The Americans were up 67-64 with 3.9 seconds left after Kahleah Copper hit two free throws. Marine Johannes brought the ball up the court to Williams and the former UConn standout caught the ball just inside the 3-point line and banked in over the outstretched arms of Breanna Stewart for the final margin.
There was a brief delay before the officials signaled that it was a two-point shot, which led to the beginning of a celebration and a lot of happy hugs for the Americans and left the French players standing in disbelief after falling just short.
“Gabby hit some great shots down the end, tough shots,” Wilson said. “We understood what we had in our locker room and leaning on each other and talking to one another and believing that we believed in each other and that’s the greatest thing about it.”
Mark J. Terrill / AP
The American players went to celebrate with the celebrities sitting courtside including men’s basketball players LeBron James, Bam Adebayo, Derrick White, along with U.S. women’s greats Lisa Leslie, Sue Bird and Dawn Staley.
Williams, who finished with 19 points, had hit a deep 3 a few seconds earlier to get France within one before Copper’s free throws. She got a consoling hug from Staley.
The victory gave Diana Taurasi a sixth consecutive gold medal, making her the most decorated basketball player in Olympic history, breaking a tie with longtime teammate Sue Bird, who won five.
Taurasi, who didn’t play in the gold medal game, has been humble about the potential record, saying she cares more about the team winning than her individual success.
It’s been a trying Olympics for her as she didn’t start any of the knockout phase games, the first time she wasn’t in the opening lineup since the 2004 Olympics.
