Gabby Williams avoided discussing her final shot during the press conference, which created an awkward moment with an Associated Press reporter who arrived late. Williams expressed pride in her team’s performance and stated that the match would be remembered for years.
In a thrilling finish at the women’s basketball final of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, France was just centimeters away from forcing overtime against Team USA. Williams attempted a game-tying shot but stepped over the three-point line, allowing the US to secure their eighth consecutive gold medal.
At 27 years old and standing 180 cm tall, Williams again topped the French scoring charts, finishing with 19 points on 7-of-16 shooting, alongside 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals.
Regarding her pivotal shot, she said, “I was going fast, it was hard to stop in time. But it’s [only] one of all the actions that took place during the match. I don’t want to answer fifty thousand questions about this shot.” When pressed about a potential foul committed by Breanna Stewart, who was defending her, Williams declined to comment further, stating, “So much has happened. Was there a foul or not? It wasn’t called, that’s it.”
The men’s national basketball team was present to support their female counterparts in the final, marking the first time in Olympic history that both the men’s and women’s finals featured the same teams. Williams noted the inspiration they drew from the men’s performance, adding, “To see them in the audience, but everyone else too, that’s one of the reasons for our performance.”
This match marked the closest Team USA had come to losing in the Olympics since 1992. Despite the loss, the French team remained hopeful, with Marine Fauthoux mentioning she noticed fear in the eyes of the US players. Williams concluded by stating, “I’m super happy and proud of what we did throughout the competition. We must not lower our heads. What we accomplished was enormous. Everyone will be talking about this match for years. There is, of course, disappointment, but I think that after a few hours, we’ll celebrate this medal. Because it’s incredible what we did.”