Paris 2024 basketball: Women’s Olympic final preview, schedule and how to watch France vs U.S.
Basketball at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 is set for a grand finale like no other.
For the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, the men’s and women’s gold medal matches will see the same two nations face each other in their respective finals. It’s a mouth-watering prospect made all the more savoury by the fact host nation France will face the United States — the most decorated nation in the sport.
France advanced to the women’s gold-medal match on Friday, 9 August with a thrilling come-from-behind 81-75 victory in the semi-finals over Belgium. The French are led by a modern-day Marianne, or at least basketball’s reincarnation of the storied French heroine in Gabby Williams.
Williams has averaged nearly 15 points a game for Les Bleues, storming up the court to lead a charge towards gold. She’s accompanied in the vanguard of the French team by Iliana Rupert and Valeriane Ayayi, whose combined efforts accounted for 32 points against Belgium.
Of course, the French bench isn’t to be discounted either. It posted 29 points against Belgium, proving the depth can be just as formidable as star power. The question remains: can the Olympic host nation stage a basketball revolution against the most dominant nation in the world?
A'ja Wilson, going for a layup against Germany during group play in Lille, France, at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, has been a veteran leader and steadying hand for the USA during their Paris 2024 campaign.
The US is intimately familiar with the gold-medal match. The women's team have been here 10 times, winning the coveted gold medal on nine of those occasions. They arrive at their 11th gold medal match on the heels of a dominating performance in a 85-64 win over Australia in the semi-finals on Friday.
Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson have emerged as the leaders of the women donning red, white and blue. Combined, the pair have averaged 38 points and 16 rebounds over five matches at Paris 2024. They’ve been unstoppable, and they’re not alone.
Team USA is guided by the experienced hand of Diana Taurasi, who is chasing her sixth Olympic gold medal. They can also call on the likes of Jackie Young, who’s averaged 11 points in five matches, and Alyssa Thomas, a rebounding powerhouse who's averaging five boards per game.
With an equally deep bench, nothing will be certain before the final buzzer in the women’s gold-medal match.
France and the US will take to the court at Bercy Arena on Sunday, 11 August for what promises to be a showstopping, breathtaking and marvellous end to basketball at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Women’s basketball finals schedule at Paris 2024
All times local CEST
11 August
- 11:30 Bronze Medal Match: Belgium vs. Australia
- 15:30 Gold Medal Match: France vs. United States
How to watch women’s basketball finals at Paris 2024 live
All the action from Paris 2024, including basketball, can be watched via media rights holders (MRHs).
MRHs include Nine in Australia, Globo in Brazil, CBC in Canada, CCTV in People's Republic of China, Fuji TV/NHK/Nippon TV/TBS/TV Asahi/TV Tokyo in Japan, SKY NZ in New Zealand, SuperSport in South Africa, NBC in the United States and Discovery Eurosport across Europe, alongside France Télévisions in France, ARD/ZDF in Germany and BBC Sport in the United Kingdom, among others.
Check the listings for your local broadcaster here.