The United States extended its remarkable streak of consecutive women’s basketball gold medals to eight by beating France 67-66 in a thrilling final on Sunday at Bercy Arena, the grand finale of the competition at Paris 2024.
France pushed the US team to the limit, which survived to extend its remarkable Olympic winning streak to 61 victories.
Their last Olympic defeat (79-73) was to the CEI team, a select group of athletes from the countries that formed the Soviet Union, 32 years earlier, in Barcelona in 1992.
American basketball legend Diana Taurasi won six gold medals in six Games. He did not play a single minute in her Olympic farewell at the age of 42.
France had it in their hands but couldn’t finish off the champions who survived with the skill and power of A’ja Wilson who scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Kelsey Plum, with a pair of threes in the hot moments and two key free throws in the final minute, put the finishing touch on the hosts.
In the third-place match, Australia denied Belgium its first ever Olympic medal in basketball by winning the bronze (85-78).
– Defensive offer –
The sporting culmination of the Games pitted the greatest empire in team sports against a host cheered on by 15,000 spectators in the Bercy Stadium who had the incentive to put the cherry on top of a spectacular Olympic event.
After being hit in their first attacks, but brave and supportive in defense, France got rid of their nerves and found the basket.
Marine Fouthoux, with a stunning hat-trick from midfield almost at the end of possession, had the stands raised, and they began to believe in a miracle.
The players, led by Jean-Aimee Toppan, were able to contain the American offensive flow, and achieved the hoped-for 25-25 tie in the first half.
As in the men’s final, French President Emmanuel Macron watched the fight from the stands. At the foot of the court, LeBron James was with his daughter and Victor Wembanyama in the background, heroes of the match just 15 hours earlier on the same court, in the US’s victory over France in the men’s category.
The game moved with very low shooting percentages, as the US team started the second half without scoring a hat-trick, and with its great specialist Sabrina Ionescu without minutes.
France came out on top after the break, taking a 10-0 lead against an American team that was denied the rim and choked by the local spider web. It took them more than three minutes to find the basket in the second half.
– Williams, The Last Shot –
The WNBA finally woke up with Ionescu on the court making the offense clear.
The last quarter was an exchange of blows, with the US remaining quiet and France not knowing how to manage some of the attacks.
Their French-American leader, Gabe Williams, had 19 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals. In the final game, he hit the tying goal at the buzzer and sent the game into overtime, but he crossed the three-point line and France remained one point behind.
Local ruin and the Stars and Stripes flags back on track. The Empire has survived.
© AFP
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