Paris 2024 Paralympics: The United States and the Netherlands are headed for the gold-medal game in women's wheelchair basketball

The United States women’s wheelchair basketball team is headed to the Paralympic gold-medal game for the first time since Rio 2016, after a 50-47 win over the People’s Republic of China at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games on Friday, 6 September. The U.S. will face the Netherlands in the gold-medal game on Sunday.

Their semifinal game against China was a tight, defensive struggle throughout. China held the U.S. to 50 points while shooting just 42 percent from the field. In fact, China led after the first half, and it was the U.S. making a run late in the third quarter that finally put Team USA ahead.

Rose Hollerman was again the key to the U.S. win. She scored 20 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished six assists while playing all 40 minutes of the game.

"We just stuck to defence, stuck to the game plan and kept grinding away. I was just reading their defence and taking what they’re giving me,” Hollermann said. “ At the beginning of the game, they weren’t jumping me, but letting me shoot from behind. I was just pulling up and taking those shots. As the game went on, I hit a couple so they started jumping. Then I started going to the basket.”

Going to the basket was effective for the U.S. as Team USA scored 22 points in the paint to China’s 12.

Ixhelt Gonzalez sealed the win for the U.S. by hitting a free throw with 25 seconds left in the game. She finished with 11 points.

"I imagined myself shooting a free throw in my home back in Chicago. It's something I really practise. I don't take it for granted, because free throws win some games sometimes,” Gonzalez said.

Netherlands wins over Canada to make their way back to gold-medal game

The Netherlands will get a chance to defend their gold medal after beating Canada 72-61 in their semifinal on Friday night at Bercy Arena.

Though the Dutch team jumped out to a 13-point lead early in the game, the Canadian team was never out of the game until the final buzzer sounded. The numbers show just how tight the game was throughout. The Netherlands shot 29 of 58 from the field (50 per cent) while Canada shot 25 of 59 (42 percent.) Canada had 12 turnovers, while the Netherlands had 13.

But the Netherlands showed their experience late in the game, staying calm and hitting free throws to seal the win. The Dutch team won gold at Tokyo 2020 and the last two world championships.

The U.S. and the Netherlands will face off for gold on Sunday, 8 September. Canada and the People’s Republic of China will play for bronze on the same day.