Paris 2024 women’s basketball: Team USA rides its luck in roller-coaster final to win eighth consecutive Olympic gold
Gabby Williams made the improbable shot, the one she has likely dreamed about since he was a little girl - and it wasn’t enough. Team USA forward Breanna Stewart turned around after watching the ball go through the hoop and immediately began pointing at the three-point line.
Williams, the brilliant French guard who had drained a 27-foot three-pointer moments earlier, crossed that line this time, meaning her shot was worth only two points. It had to be three for France to force overtime.
Instead, Team USA crawled away with its 61st consecutive victory and eight straight gold medal with a razor-thin 67-66 win, a game that USA trailed by 10 points in the third quarter.
Gabby Williams #15 and Team France react after their loss against Team USA in the women's basketball gold medal game
Copper turns to gold for Team USA
Kahleah Copper and A’ja Wilson keyed a USA comeback and its defense was stifling in second-half stretches. USA had not been challenged for the entire Olympic tournament but France’s pressure defense forced the Americans into numerous turnovers and they could never find that spurt to create any comfort.
Williams, who gave up her WNBA season to concentrate on preparing for this moment, drained a three-pointer with five seconds left to slice the USA lead to one point before Copper was fouled with 3.8 left and made both free throws, setting up the dramatic and confusing finish.
“I knew right away it was a two-pointer; I’m disappointed,” Williams said. “I’m really happy with what we’ve done (with Team France). I don’t think we should hold our heads down. Of course there is disappointment, but I think in a few hours we will celebrate, because what we did was incredible.”
Team USA was expected to breeze through this tournament, the only undefeated team, especially after dismantling Australia in the semi-finals. The Aussies beat France in group play. But French coach Jean Aime Toupane made some astute adjustments, using his guards to play full-court defense on the Team USA guards, rushing its offense and causing miscues.
Team USA played better in the second half, committing only five turnovers and using the will of Wilson in the paint and the slashing of Copper for layups. But the players knew that France would be a formidable opponent, especially in a jam-packed Bercy Arena.
“Listen, this is the Olympics; this is the biggest stage; France came out and the support for their team was amazing,” Copper said. “As a competitor, you love these environments; you expect teams to bring it. It feels even better to have to gut the game out like that, really have to find it, really have to string together stops and really work together, so I’m proud of this group.”
Wilson was named MVP of the Olympic Tournament, finishing the gold medal game with 21 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots in 33-plus minutes. She controlled the paint against France’s plethora of centers but said she stopped playing for fouls.
“I stopped looking for the calls and I was just like, ‘Something’s got to work’,” Wilson said. “I’m not going to shy from it. I leaned on my defense more and that’s what got things going not only for myself but for my team as well. But the thing in the international game, especially with USAB (basketball) is they don’t really care about anything when it comes to us. You must work harder, play through the contact and be (poised) to the highest degree.”
Jackie Young, Kahleah Copper and Chelsea Gray of Team USA celebrate after their team's victory against Team France in the women's basketball gold medal game
Team USA find the right blend
The Team USA roster is filled with veteran players such as Diana Taurasi, who won her sixth gold medal, and first-timers such as Copper, Jackie Young and Sabrina Ionescu, who are considered the present and future of USA Basketball. Despite how effortless these runs may seem, besides Sunday’s final, gathering together for a few weeks in the middle of the WNBA season was a difficult endeavor. Several French players passed on their WNBA seasons to prepare for this Olympic run. Team USA didn’t have that luxury. They were put together on the fly and went undefeated, thanks to a few inches on that final Williams shot.
“I know the 61 wins in a row is really impressive but this one is special just for our group and what we’ve been able to accomplish in a short amount of time,” Stewart said. “Any time we have the opportunity to represent USA, we have the biggest target on our back. We know it’s not easy. We know it’s a commitment to come here. We’ve all taken time away from our team to do something really, really hard. And the fact that it’s eight straight golds is insane.”
Gary Washburn is an Olympic Channel correspondent and National NBA Writer for the Boston Globe.