PARIS — France was the official opponent; Team USA, its own worst enemy. One of the two? The Americans could overcome. But both? That’s a tough road. And against an eager, home-crowd-boosted team like France, it sure looked like the U.S. picked a bad game to have a bad game.
And then, it somehow got worse. After, arguably, the worst half of basketball the U.S. women have played on a world stage in the (now) 61-game win streak, France jumped out to an 8-0 run to start the second half and any assurance of “It’s Team USA, of course, they’ll be fine, of course, they’re going to come out different in the second half,” dissipated as fast as any of the cushions the Americans tried to build through the game.
Clinging to a one-point lead with 1:32 to go, it was Kahleah Copper’s number who was called for the play. She had to score to give Team USA a 3-point lead. The Americans had never run this play in a game, Copper had not yet been called upon as the “go-ahead” player in any crucial instance during these Games, but on a team that believes that each of its players can step up when her number is called — even after 38 minutes of frustration — every person on Team USA’s bench felt confident.
As she took to the floor, Diana Taurasi — the most decorated team athlete in Olympic history — pulled Copper in, telling her: Do what you do.
And then she did.
The game wasn’t secured until a few possessions later, when Gabby Williams’ shot was ruled a 2-pointer, and not a 3, putting the final score at 67-66. But from the bench, where players said they had a clear view of Williams’ foot the celebration had already begun.
It was a celebration coated in relief.
“These games are tough. Everyone always thinks these games end up being easy because we win gold medals,” Taurasi said. “That was a tough win.”
UNBELIEVABLE ENDING IN PARIS. 😱
Gabby Williams banked it in at the buzzer but her FOOT WAS ON THE THREE-POINT LINE. TEAM USA WINS BY A SINGLE POINT.#ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/DJI7YxfVMl
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 11, 2024
Make no mistake, this was not the U.S. team that had trounced through previous tournaments to win the previous seven Olympic gold medals, winning by margins of 10, 20 or 30-plus. This was not the kind of game that Team USA had built its reputation on and not the kind of play that looked worthy of eight consecutive gold medals, let alone one. The Americans turned the ball over 19 times. They couldn’t hit a shot from beyond the 3-point arc to stop the bleeding, and they were somehow worse right next to the basket.
The Americans missed 15 two-foot shots (some contested, others not). They made uncharacteristic mistakes because of the French defensive pressure or, simply, the pressure. And in the end, it nearly cost them.
But the streak lives on with eight straight gold medals. The U.S. has now won 61 straight, including this narrow, tense victory.
A’ja Wilson, after playing a first half she would want to forget along with the rest of her teammates, was a savior of the second half going 4-of-5 from the floor, but even she made uncharacteristic mistakes — including a travel call at the elbow (a sweet spot for her) with 42 seconds to go and a 3-point lead.
“I stopped looking for calls,” Wilson said. “I leaned on my defense more and I think that got things going for not only myself but my teammates as well.”
Even with a tough first half, Wilson finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds but was the only starter to finish in double digits. And in what many expected to be a swan song for Taurasi, a six-time Olympian, the game was never assured enough to bring her off the bench.
One of one. ☝️
Diana Taurasi makes history with her SIXTH gold medal.#ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/2Lc448bIzS
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 11, 2024
The chemistry and flow that showed itself in spurts throughout the Olympics seemed to be missing in the most important game, which coach Cheryl Reeve credited to a tough and physical French defense. “We had a hard time getting to our identity of being able to play in transition and score,” she said. “It was ugly for a reason. We both made it hard for each other. We had to go through some real gut-check moments.”
Reeve had said throughout the Olympics, given the lack of preparation time this team had together, that they would be tweaking with rotations and lineups until the end, and maybe then, they’d be happy with what they had. But in the end, the rotations never created the kind of separation the world has grown accustomed to and the flow that was established in spurts in earlier games didn’t surface.
Sabrina Ionescu, the player brought to France as a de facto backup point guard, didn’t see the floor until the third quarter, even though the team had 13 first-half turnovers. Jewell Loyd, a player whom Reeve had singled out as someone the U.S. needed to win a gold medal, was the only player other than Taurasi to not see the floor. Jackie Young, the breakout star of the last three games for this team, fouled out with three minutes to go, finishing with two points and three turnovers.
Reeve had spoken of how hard it was to accomplish what this team was attempting. To be perfect. To be the team that sets the bar year after year. To play with a target on its back and get everyone’s best shot. France certainly gave them that (though give a big assist to the U.S.).
Breanna Stewart called it “a little bit ugly.” Wilson said it “wasn’t the prettiest of games.” But on Sunday night in Paris, Team USA extended its win streak, secured another gold medal and stayed atop the world. The Americans did what they said was hard and certainly made it look that way. That part was a different feeling for this dynasty, even if the result was the same as it has nearly always been.
Required reading
(Photo: Aris Messinis / AFP / Getty Images)
