The U.S. women’s basketball team secured its eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal by narrowly defeating France 67-66 on Sunday in Paris. Led by A’Ja Wilson, who scored 21 points, this victory marks a historic achievement as the first basketball team to win eight gold medals in Olympic history. The U.S. has an impressive winning streak, now totaling 61 consecutive victories at the Summer Games since 1992.
The match was far from a dominating performance by the Americans, as they faced significant challenges from a resilient French team and a passionate home crowd at Bercy Arena. A tense moment occurred when Gabby Williams of France made a long-range shot just as the game ended; however, it was deemed a two-point shot, which ultimately preserved the U.S. lead.
“It was a little bit ugly. But no matter what, whether it’s good, ugly, whatever, we just want to come out on top, and we did that, and we go home with this gold,” Breanna Stewart remarked after the game.
The first half was particularly chaotic, with the U.S. struggling to establish offensive flow against France’s strong defense. France briefly led 25-23 before the U.S. managed to level the score at halftime.
In the second half, the U.S. had difficulty scoring, trailing by as much as ten points at one time. U.S. team coach Cheryl Reeve noted the defensive capabilities of both teams, saying, “We had a hard time getting to our identity of being able to play and transition and score.”
Jackie Young, a significant contributor in earlier rounds, fouled out in the fourth quarter, but Kelsey Plum kept the U.S. in the game with critical three-pointers and free throws.
This medal marks France’s first appearance in the Olympic gold medal basketball game since 2012, when they were defeated by the U.S. by a large margin. With this latest loss, France takes home the silver medal, while Australia claimed the bronze after defeating Belgium.
Brittney Griner, participating internationally for the first time since her release in a prisoner swap with Russia, expressed overwhelming emotions during the medal ceremony. “I was on the podium, the flag was going up, as soon as the anthem started tears started coming down my face,” Griner shared. “This gold medal’s gonna hold a special place amongst the other two I was fortunate to win.”
The U.S. enjoyed a successful weekend in basketball, as the men’s team also triumphed over France, winning 98-87 to secure their fifth straight Olympic gold.