The United States women’s national basketball team has been synonymous with gold medals since 1996 .
Flash forward 28 years later and nothing has changed, as Team USA defeated France 67-6 6 in a thriller of a gold medal match on August 11 to cap off yet another successful Olympic Games.
It certainly wasn’t easy for the United States, however. Heading into this game, Team USA had fought back from early struggles and eventually pulled ahead by wide margins in previous contests in this year’s tournament. This go-around, though, the whole team seemed out of sync.
France proved to be a tough opponent all game and in the first half especially, grabbing offensive rebounds and playing scrappy defense which caused Team USA to turn the ball over. The Americans could not find their groove, as star players were getting to the rim, but shots just weren’t falling.
Team USA scored just 15 points in the first quarter and only 10 points in the second to head into halftime tied with France, 25-25, all on the stage in which the world has come to expect the Americans to dominate. Shooting 8-for-28 from the field and tallying 13 turnovers in the first half, coupled with France starting the third quarter on a 10-0 run, didn’t necessarily scream gold medal.
Suffice it to say, it was far from a foregone conclusion that Team USA would secure its eighth-straight Olympic gold medal.
That is, until A’ja Wilson, wearing Lisa Leslie’s number nine Olympic jersey, eventually found her rhythm and got things going for Team USA. Wilson had just six points in the first half, but her 15 in the second half helped the Americans take back the lead and secure their gold medal.
It came down to the final possession, but the United States found a way to prevail in Paris.
A’ja Wilson’s Huge Second Half For Team USA
To say Wilson was not playing like her usual, dominant self in the first half would be an understatement. She was getting to the rim, but her shots just weren’t falling at the rate in which they usually do for the two-time WNBA champion and MVP.
It was in the second half, however, where Wilson kicked her game into gear. Without her performance, this United States squad would likely not be going home with a medal.
Throughout the Olympic tournament, Wilson was an anchor for Team USA. Alongside Breanna Stewart, the duo padded Team USA’s efforts in the box score each game, and when it mattered most, their play was enough to bring the Americans to the promised land.
“The dynasty that we have built here at [USA Basketball] has been incredible,” Wilson said in an interview with NBC following the game. “I’m so proud and blessed to be a part of it, but God was working today. God was working today. And I’m so proud of the [resiliency] that my team showed. We could’ve crumbled, we could’ve fumbled it many times, but we pulled through. And to say that I’m a two-time gold medalist, I’m so blessed.”
Wilson finished with a team-high 21 points to go along with 13 rebounds and four blocks.
Plum and Copper Step Up When Needed
When the United States didn’t have things going offensively and was fighting back to get in the game with France, it was bench players like Kelsey Plum and Kahleah Copper who came up big.
Their immediate sparks off the bench helped Team USA grab the momentum and ultimately pull ahead down the stretch.
Whether it was Plum’s two clutch 3-pointers early in the second half or Copper’s late-game scoring, the duo helped Team USA when the squad needed to shake things up on the offensive end.
Even the pair’s free throws down the stretch proved clutch, as a last second shot from France went in. Luckily for Team USA, it was a few inches past the 3-point line, meaning the game wouldn’t go into overtime. Plum and Copper each chipped in 12 points off the bench.
Diana Taurasi: History Maker
Diana Taurasi may not have played in the gold medal game, and she may have only tallied five points throughout this year’s Olympic tournament, but above all else, she is now a six-time gold medalist .
Taurasi’s play may not have been pivotal to Team USA’s efforts this go-around, but for two decades, the now-42-year-old has been a constant for the United States, helping cement the dynasty Wilson mentioned in her interview.
The Phoenix Mercury star has done just about everything in her basketball career, whether that’s win multiple WNBA, EuroLeague and Russian National League championships, two Finals MVPs or even three NCAA championships at UConn. This sixth Olympic gold medal, however, may just be the most impressive.
Take Taurasi’s entire WNBA and overseas careers out of the equation and solely look at her Olympic accomplishments and she’s still a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer.
With the win over France, Team USA women’s basketball now has eight straight gold medals to its name and 10 out of 11 gold medals from Olympic Games dating back to 1984.
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