It came down to the final seconds of the final event of the Paris 2024 Olympics, but Team USA Women’s Basketball continued their dynasty of the most dominant team in Olympic history.
In a 67-66 win over France, Team USA captured their eighth straight gold medal and extended their unbeaten streak in Olympic play to 61 games. The rest of the world may be catching up, but this team proved that they are still the best in the world.
But the path to get to the top of the podium was not as easy as it had been in previous Olympics. France battled the US the entire game, and if Gabby Williams’ foot had been behind the three-point line on the final shot of the game, we might be telling a different story.
Both teams got off to a slow start on offense, with the first half ending tied at 25 points. Players were playing physically on defense, and many shots that normally fall in easily were not being hit.
Team USA started to get their offense going in the second half by inserting players like Kahleah Copper and Sabrina Ionescu, who provided a spark to get the ball moving. A’ja Wilson also turned her game around from the first half and finished the game with 21 points. Ultimately, all of the players did just enough to secure another gold medal, the 40th and final one of the 2024 games for Team USA.
France did not go away easily, with Williams willing her team to the final buzzer. She led her team in points (19) and rebounds (7), hitting multiple big shots down the stretch of the game. Even with all of her heroics at the end of the game, France did not have enough to win the gold medal in front of their home crowd in a packed stadium in Paris.
Williams was named Best Defensive Player of the tournament and made the All-Star Five, comprised of the best players of the games. For Team USA, Wilson was named MVP and made the All-Star Five along with Breanna Stewart.
Australia Bests Belgium For Bronze
For the third time in Olympic history, Australia earned the bronze medal in women’s basketball, beating Belgium 85-81.
In a back-and-forth game, the Opals were led by their young star Ezi Magbegor who finished the game with an efficiency rating of 45, the highest in a single game in Olympic history. Her dominance and consistency in the post secured her a double-double of 30 points and 13 rebounds in addition to 3 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals.
The rest of the starting lineup contributed significantly to the win. In addition to Magbegor, Tess Madgen, Alanna Smith, and Sami Whitcomb combined for 67 of the team's points, and Jade Melbourne dished out 7 assists. However, the 18 points that came from the bench players are not insignificant, as Belgium only scored 8 points off the bench.
With Australian legend Lauren Jackson coming back and winning her fifth Olympic medal, it was the younger players who showed that they were ready to continue growing the team and winning big games.
For Belgium, their stars played their hearts out and kept it close for most of the game but it ultimately was not enough to earn their first Olympic medal. Julie Vanloo scored 26 points and Emma Meesseman had 23, but their lack of scoring from other players did not give them enough to surpass Australia.
Although Belgium will be disappointed with the results, this was their highest finish in an Olympic tournament and they have a bright future ahead of them.
Both teams had players recognized for their play throughout the tournament with Smith and Meesseman earning spots on the All-Star Five, Magbegor and Vanloo making the All-Second Team, and Melbourne earning the Rising Star award.
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