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USA vs. France basketball highlights: American women win 8th straight Olympic gold
By Lindsay Schnell and Nancy Armour, USA TODAY,
9 hours ago
PARIS — Way back on July 27, Diana Taurasi told a group of reporters she thought France could push the U.S. women's basketball team as the Americans sought an unprecedented eighth straight Olympic gold medal.
Turns out, the most decorated basketball Olympian of all time knew what she was talking about.
It took 21 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks from A'ja Wilson — plus a late bucket by Kahleah Copper and crucial block by Breanna Stewart — for Team USA to pull away from a 10-point third quarter deficit and secure a 67-66 win over the host country to win gold Sunday at the 2024 Paris Olympics .
"We just knew what we had to do," Wilson, who was named MVP of the tournament, said after. "We believed in each other and that's the greatest thing about it."
With the U.S. clinging to a 62-59 lead, Stewart got a fingertip on France’s 3 attempt, a huge defensive play with 20 seconds to go. At the other end, Wilson hit one of two free throws to make it a two possession game.
France’s Gabby Williams hit a shot at the buzzer but the forward wasn’t behind the 3-point line when it left her hand, leaving France short of tying the game and leaving the U.S. with a one-point victory.
It was a scrappy and sloppy battle, the U.S. shooting just 34% and France shooting 32%. The Americans committed 19 turnovers, leading to 14 points for the French.
Tied 25-25 at halftime, France came out of the locker room and quickly built a 10-point lead, the biggest deficit the U.S. had faced all tournament.
A'ja Wilson now has two Olympic gold medals to go along with her two WNBA championships, two WNBA MVPs and national championship. Kyle Terada, Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Wilson finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds, both game highs. She also had four blocks, including two monster ones early in the third quarter that kept France from pulling away when the Americans couldn’t buy a bucket, be it in Euros, dollars or francs.
This was the ugliest game the U.S. women had in, well, forever. And if we’re being honest, they had no business winning it. They finished with 19 turnovers and were a paltry 19 of 56 (34%) from the floor. But Wilson dragged them to the top of the medals podium. If you can’t appreciate that, if you aren’t impressed by her or are still hung up on who wasn’t on this roster, that’s your problem. Read Nancy Armour's full column on A'ja Wilson's gold medal game performance .
Gabby Williams hit a long 2 with about 1:30 left, Kahleah Cooper answered with a layup out of the timeout to give the Americans a three-point lead lead with 54 seconeds left. A'ja Wilson made it 63-59 with a free throw with about 20 seconds left before France's Marine Johannes made a pair of free throws.
Things are getting tight. Is this game going to come down to who has the ball last? It very well could. A lot of people tuning in for the first time are surprised at the physicality of the game. Welcome to international basketball. This is usually what it’s like. As for any comments about the refs, just remember that the USA has shot 24 free throws, and France has shot just nine.
The national emergency appears to be over — for now. A’ja Wilson is getting ticked off, and that’s usually when the Americans start rolling. Wilson is up to four blocks (it feels like more) and dominated that quarter defensively when the U.S. really needed it. She’s got 14 points and 12 rebounds. Two nice Sabrina Ionescu-to-Napheesa Collier baskets also helped the Americans get back into it after trailing by 10.
France isn’t going away though, and we should be in for a heck of a fourth quarter.
Kelsey Plum hit a pair of 3s about haflway through the third, and A'ja Wilson came up with two huge blocks to help the U.S. regain a 43-40 lead with 45 seconds left in the third.
A lot of people thought the U.S. would have a cakewalk to its eighth consecutive gold. France has other ideas. After an 8-0 run that gave the French a 33-25 lead to open the second half, the U.S. needed a timeout to talk things over. This crowd is only going to get louder.
We’ve got a ball game, folks. It’s all tied up after a crucial tip-in from Team USA’s Napheesa Collier just before the halftime buzzer.
Real talk: that half was ugly. The U.S. shot 29%, France shot 28% and the teams combined for 19 total turnovers. Goodness. A’ja Wilson has six points but is just 2-of-9 from the field, while Stewart is 1-of-6 with five points. Both Wilson and Collier have nine rebounds each. Gabby Williams leads France with eight points. The U.S. looks sloppy and disjointed and if they want to keep the streak of seven-gold-medals-in-a-row-and- counting going, they’re going to need to clean up a lot in the second half.
Aug 11, 2024; Paris, France; United States forward A'Ja Wilson (9) shoots against France centre Iliana Rupert (12) in the first half in the women's gold medal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports Kyle Terada, Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Early thoughts: So much for home court advantage. France is not getting any friendly whistles. In fact, they’re getting quite a few unfriendly ones as the French have already been called for seven fouls (the U.S. has been whistled for just one). The Americans are getting to the line a lot, and is already 7-of-10 from the stripe (France has shot zero).
France is getting a lot of good looks, and a lot of offensive rebounds (they already have six). But if they want to win this game, they’ve got to convert some of those looks, especially the ones around the rim (bonus points if they can get some Americans in foul trouble at the same time).
Kelsey Plum came in for Chelsea Gray with 4:32 left in the first quarter. Shortly after, Alyssa Thomas came in for Breanna Stewart, Kahleah Cooper came in for Jackie Young, and Brittney Griner came in for A'ja Wilson.
Why mess with what works? The Americans are going with their same starting lineup that they’ve had the entire knockout round, with Jackie Young, who has played extremely well the last two games, sticking in the starting lineup as Diana Taurasi stays in a reserve role. Of note: Coach Cheryl Reeve said the other day that in order to win a gold medal, Jewell Loyd has to play well. Watch for her to have a key role off the bench today.
Cheryl Reeve, head coach of the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx , will serve as the head coach of the 2024 USA women's national team. Kara Lawson (Duke), Joni Taylor (Texas A&M) and Mike Thibault (Washington Mystics) will serve as Reeve's assistant coaches. Reeve and her staff previously led the USA women to a gold medal at the 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup.
Basketball legends Lisa Leslie, Sue Bird, LeBron James and Dawn Staley are on hand to watch the U.S. women go for their eighth staight gold medal. Vanessa Bryant is also courtside for the game.
Megan Rapinoe, Sue Bird, Derrick White, Bam Adebayo and LeBron James and his family sit courtside. Kyle Terada, Kyle Terada-USA TODAY SportsLisa Leslie and Vanessa Bryant shared a hug pregame. Kyle Terada, Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Breanna Stewart is second on the team in scoring with 18.0 points per game. She has also averaged 5.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.6 blocks per game.
USA vs. France basketball prediction
This game is going to be more challenging than people think. Yes, the U.S. women are a dominant dynasty. But the French crowd is the ultimate sixth (wo)man and will make it tough for the Americans. If France comes out knocking down 3s, it’ll be close for awhile. But the difference, as it usually is, will be A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. No one at the Olympics has had an answer for that dynamic duo. France will be the latest on that list.
France is led by two standout WNBA veterans in forward Gabby Williams and guard Marine Johannes. Williams loves to attack the rim and finish through contact with her strong frame and Johannes is Caitlin-Clark like in that as soon as she crosses half court, she’s willing to shoot. Iliana Rupert, whose brother plays in the NBA, is also a tough matchup.
Brittney Griner knows the face she presents to the world is often a mask. She knows what you see — the goofy grin, the 6-foot-9 big kid who loves skateboarding and off-roading, the intimidating shot-blocker on the basketball court — is only a fraction of the truth.
To outsiders it looks like Griner has moved on quickly from her 10-month detention in Russian custody , a terrifying and isolating stretch of time that would’ve broken most people. When she poses for photos with fans, easily banks in an eight-footer, it looks like things are back to normal. But they’re not, and she’s not.
“It’s always with me, and there’s definitely moments of like, oh wow this could be totally different — I could be seeing this beautiful view through bars,” Griner said Saturday from USA practice. “It doesn’t go away. It makes you appreciate everything a little bit more too.”
The United States has dominated at the Summer Games and has medaled in every Olympics they have competed in (they didn't compete in 1980 due to a nationwide Olympic boycott).
In total, the U.S. women's basketball team has won eleven medals – 9 gold, one silver (1976), and one bronze (1992). The U.S. women have won seven straight gold medals dating back to the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
A’ja Wilson’s basketball dominance is driven by joy
A’ja Wilson will keep piling up double-doubles, pushing the boundaries of what a forward in this game can do and, if all goes according to plan, lead the U.S. women's basketball team to a record eighth straight Olympic gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics . Maybe the crowning of the latest U.S. dynasty, led by an exceptional talent, will make you tune in. If not, Wilson figures, that’s your loss.
“Forwards, centers, whatever you want to call us, we don’t get the love we should,” Wilson told USA TODAY Sports. “But I don’t pay it any mind because the true fans, the ones who really understand and love the game, they understand how forwards and centers are a huge part. So yeah, I feel like we’re under appreciated. But I love my position.”
Still, the best player in the world knows there’s likely to be more eyeballs than ever on women’s basketball this summer. She can’t wait to put on a show .
USA women's basketball Olympic gold medals
USA women's basketball has medaled in every Olympics it has participated, winning a total of 11 Olympic medals, including nine gold, one sliver and one bronze. Here's how the U.S. women have performed since 1976, when women’s basketball debuted at the Montreal Olympics:
2020, Tokyo: Gold (90–75 win over Japan)
2016, Rio: Gold (101–72 win over Spain)
2012, London: Gold (86-50 win over France)
2008, Athens: Gold (92–65 win Australia)
2004, Athens: Gold (74–63 over Australia)
2000, Sydney: Gold (76–54 over Australia)
1996, Atlanta: Gold (111–87 win over Brazil)
1992, Barcelona: Bronze (88–74 win over Cuba in bronze medal game)
1988, Seoul: Gold (77–70 win over Yugoslavia)
1984, Los Angeles: Gold (85–55 win over South Korea)
1980, Moscow: USA boycotted Olympics due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
1976, Canada: Silver (83–67 loss to Czechoslovakia)
Diana Taurasi Olympic gold medals
Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020) are the only two American women's basketball players to win five Olympic gold medals. Taurasi can become the first to earn six gold medals in Paris.
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