Jackie Young (13), Kahleah Copper (7) and Chelsea Gray celebrate after winning the gold medal against France at Bercy Arena on August 11, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
In a physical, low-scoring game, Team USA had to fend off a strong defensive presence from the host country in order to keep its win and gold streaks alive. The U.S. struggled with turnovers and was down by as many as 10 points in the third quarter before pushing back against France.
The two teams traded leads throughout the rest of the second half, with the score tied 11 times throughout the game. In the end, the game came down to the wire: Down three with seconds left, France’s Gabby Williams had a chance to send the game to overtime, but her beautiful buzzer-beating shot was within the arc and only counted for two points.
The United States fought for that one-point win with everything they had. A’ja Wilson had another massive game, and led the team with 21 points and 13 rebounds while being crucial on the defensive end as well. Kelsey Plum and Kahleah Copper picked up 12 points each, with Copper also showing up on both ends of the court. Williams led France with 19 points and seven rebounds, and only just fell short of being the hero.
Team USA survives France to take 67-66 win and earn eighth straight gold
It was not an easy one by any means, but Team USA outlasts the French to earn gold in a game that went down to the wire. What a thrilling, physical final match — and the United States comes out on top again.
Team USA receives their gold medals, sitting atop the podium
Team USA steps up to the top of the podium, receiving their gold medals. The team, who looked a bit stunned after the tight win, is in much better spirits now. A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart, the two biggest players for Team USA this tournament, get the biggest cheers. Diana Taurasi gets a big cheer of her own, earning her historic sixth gold.
(Photo by DAMIEN MEYER/AFP via Getty Images)
(Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Brittney Griner is emotional as the national anthem plays, wiping away a tear. Griner has spoken throughout the Olympics about how playing for the United States means more to her this time around after her imprisonment in Russia. It is wonderful to see her in a United States jersey again, but earning gold means even more.
Team France earns massive cheers from the crowd as they receive their silver medals. The French team still looks disappointed about the loss, but the crowd is still proud of their home team.
Gabby Williams, who scored 19 points, earns the biggest cheer. She is clearly emotional, likely from the close loss, but she will forever be a legend of these Olympics.
(Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
The podium for women’s basketball is final: Australia wins bronze, while France, the home team, takes silver. Team USA earns gold.
Australia, who beat Belgium earlier today, earns bronze. Australia won 85-81 behind a massive 30-point triple-double from Ezi Magbegor. With the win, Australia’s Lauren Jackson earns her fifth Olympic medal, with her first Olympic games back in 2000.
(Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Brittney Griner hugs Chelsea Gray after their team’s victory during the Women’s Gold Medal game between Team France and Team United States. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Diana Taurasi win a historic sixth gold medal
Of Team USA’s eight straight gold medals, Diana Taurasi has earned six of them. She now has more Olympic gold medals than anyone in basketball.
USA ties China in the gold medal count in the final event
With the gold medal in women’s basketball, the final event of the Paris Olympics, Team USA ties China with 40 gold medals. The race came down to the last events, but USA is able to lock up the final gold.
Team USA was incredibly dominant these games, earning 126 total medals compared to second-place China’s 91. Great Britain and France came in third and fourth with 65 and 64, respectively.
A’ja Wilson shows out for USA to get the win
A’ja Wilson has had an absolutely massive Olympics, averaging 18.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks throughout the tournament. She got four double-doubles, including a huge one in this championship game: 21 points and 13 rebounds, plus four blocks.
Dawn Staley, Wilson’s former college coach, summarizes it well in an interview on the NBC broadcast: “We had A’ja Wilson, and they didn’t,” she said of the USA’s win.
The United States’ big win is even bigger when taken in context: Most of the 12,000-person crowd in Bercy Arena was loudly rooting for France, creating a hostile environment. The U.S. shot a whopping 34 free throws off of 25 French fouls, but only made 27 of them, courtesy of the environment.
Team USA just holds on to its win streak, earning a 61st straight win
The Team USA win streak, which dates back to 1992, was nearly in jeopardy today. But the United States win holds the streak and gives the team its 61st straight win. It was a hard-fought one, but the Americans held on until the very end.
Team USA is celebrating, but it’s more muted than expected as they process that game.
A’ja Wilson looks a bit shell-shocked and potentially emotional in a postgame interview, but starts to get back to her normal self as she speaks about their win.
“Sometimes you’ve gotta take the ugly wins,” Wilson said on the broadcast. She also praised Gabby Williams, who was so close to ending the USA’s win streak.
She also had high praise — and a key expletive — for Kahleah Copper, who ended with 12 points, five rebounds and some massive plays on defense.
Bercy Arena has gone nearly quiet as the French fans process a wild ending — so, so close for France.
Oh MY! Gabby Williams sinks a beautiful long shot, but it’s inside the arc and is only worth two. Team USA survives by the skin of its teeth, defeating France 67-66.
Gabby Williams hits an absolutely massive three-pointer, and France is within one. But Copper is fouled on the way back and makes both free throws.
USA has a 67-64 lead, and France is within three.
Gabby Williams fouls Kelsey Plum, who gets a few more seconds off the clock. She makes both free throws, for a 65-61 lead.
Copper quickly fouls Marine Johannes, stopping the clock at 13.5. Johannes takes two, and makes both. 63-61, USA.
Wilson misses her first free throw, but makes her second to extend the lead to four and give the U.S. a two-score advantage. France takes its third and final timeout, with 17.4 seconds remaining.
Breanna Stewart gets a massive blocked shot on Marine Fauthoux, and Wilson gets the rebound and gets fouled. She’s headed to the free throw line.
France is doing a full-court press now, and is amping up the pressure — and the U.S. might be feeling it, because A’ja Wilson travels to turnover the ball.
Williams misses a three-pointer and France takes a timeout. 54.7 seconds remaining.
Copper gets a huge push to the rim and is able to finish. 62-59, USA. Another slim lead with a minute left.
Plum looks unaffected as she sinks two free throws — more big points for the U.S., who have a three-point lead again.
France turns it over after losing it out of bounds, but Copper and Plum just miss two shots. Williams, meanwhile, hits the outside jumper to get France back within one. Williams has had a massive game for France, scoring 14 points and nabbing seven rebounds.
USA takes a timeout with 1:32 remaining.
More messiness, as France makes some misses and Stewart gets caught up in a jump ball that goes France’s way.
Jackie Young gets her fifth foul and has fouled out with two minutes and 30 seconds remaining. Gabby Williams makes both free throws and gets the French within one.
Stewart gets one, but misses the second — the environment at play again.
There’s some confusion on the other end, but the U.S. gets the ball back and A’ja Wilson gets a big shot outside the paint to take the 58-55 lead.
Stewart is fouled with the score at 55-55, and Team USA takes a timeout. The crowd — 12,000 strong, per the Olympics website — is on their feet and rooting for a French victory. This’ll come down to the wire.
Fauthoux hits both free throws to take a 53-51 lead with five minutes left. Ionescu turns over the ball and Fauthoux has a chance for a big three, but she misses.
Kahleah Copper is fouled on the other end to tie it up, and then gets a huge shot in the paint to take the lead. But Gabby Williams follows it up with points for France.
Badiane drives to the basket and scores to take the 51-49 lead. But Wilson gets another chance for free throws, and hits both. Tied, again — the ninth time this game so far.
Big two-pointer from A’ja Wilson under pressure, to make the score 49-47 U.S.
Ayayi misses her three, but France rebounds and Ayayi is fouled in the process. Replay makes it clear that Collier got all ball, but she goes ahead with free throws anyway, and sinks both. Tied again.
France’s Badiane gets two free throws of her own to ties things up again. Collier travels and the ball goes back to France, who has a chance to get the lead, but Fauthoux’s three-pointer falls short.
Marieme Badiane gets a long two to tie the game at 45-all. On the other end, Kahleah Copper is fouled by France yet again. That makes 17 fouls for France.
Copper makes both free throws and retakes a slim lead.
Back-to-back misses from Alyssa Thomas and Jackie Young, who is called for an offensive foul. The game is still incredibly physical, but The Americans need to start hitting some points soon.
USA 45, France 43 with one quarter remaining
Marine Johannes air-balls it to end the third quarter, and the U.S. holds a very slim lead. The United States has slightly better stats so far, but it’s still very tight in Paris.
Wilson sinks both free throws, after missing a few earlier. 45-43, USA.
Spoke too soon. Marine Johannes gets a big three for France and ties it at 43-all.
Napheesa Collier scores again off a dime from Ionescu to make it 43-40. Collier misses a three, but France bobbles it out of bounds on the other end. Feels like a momentum shift is coming…
Sabrina Ionescu drops a DIME to Napheesa Collier and the USA is back on top! 🔝
Some big defensive plays from A’ja Wilson, who blocks Laila Lacan inside the paint. It’s Wilson’s third block of the game. Napheesa Collier follows it up with a massive layup through a French double-team, and then a jumper off a dime from Sabrina Ionescu. USA retakes the lead, 41-40.
Jackie Young’s jumper bounces out of the basket as well…there’s been a string of those robberies all game for the U.S. (Has anyone checked the rim? Might be something suspicious…)
Stewart gets a drive to the rim, but Laila Lacan gets one right back. It’s 40-35, France.
Sabrina Ionescu is coming in for the U.S. — can she change the momentum with a few big threes?
Another huge three-pointer from Kelsey Plum, who was completely wide open on the outside. It’s 35-33…the energy is still muddled but it’s a good sign from the U.S. to be making these buckets.
Kelsey Plum gets a wide-open three off a strong pass from Kahleah Copper. A France miss gives A’ja Wilson a chance for an easy fast break layup. Just like that, France’s lead is cut in half. There’s that momentum the U.S. was looking for.
Another bad turnover, as Kelsey Plum’s pass is intercepted. Marieme Badiane is fouled while attempting to score, sending France to the free throw line for the first time this game. France has a double-digit lead, 35-25.
Ayayi gets a three to make it 33-25, and Team USA is forced to take a timeout to quell the 8-0 run.
Marine Fathoux gets a huge three and gives France its biggest lead yet, with the score at 30-25. This is now a great start to the second half for the U.S.
Valeriane Ayayi gets the second half started with a big two-point shot for France. Wilson then misses her inside shot, and France has a 27-25 lead.
Unfortunately, it’s been another tough three-point night for the U.S., who has only attempted three beyond the arc and has missed all three of them. Additionally, the United States’ only three players that have not yet subbed in are Jewell Loyd, Sabrina Ionescu and Diana Taurasi — all good three-point shooters.
It’s possible that the strategy is to focus on the paint, which Team USA usually does because they have the height advantage, but head coach Cheryl Reeve might choose to try something different at halftime.
Most important is going to be regaining control over the pace, and avoiding those sloppy turnovers.
A game this close is not what Team USA is used to, but a lot of that comes down to the French defense. The United States looks overwhelmed by the French, racking up 13 turnovers in the first half.
France has 11 fouls, but the rowdy French crowd is another tricky aspect: The U.S. is 9-of-14 on free throws, and look spooked by the raucous crowd. France has not yet been to the free throw line; the U.S. is at least being smart about fouls.
So far, the U.S. has been lucky that France has been missing most of their shots so far, going 11-for-40 on field goals with 3-of-18 on three-pointers. But they’ve been letting them get a number of offensive rebounds and extra chances to get those shots off. Once those French shots start going in, the U.S. will really be in trouble.
Team USA 25, France 25 at halftime
In a defense-heavy matchup, the United States has struggled with scoring and turnovers while France makes it difficult to get the ball into the net.
Janelle Salaun makes a big jumper for two, and France takes the 25-23 lead.
A’ja Wilson gets a pair of tough misses in a row, but the U.S. keeps the ball. Wilson misses again, but Napheesa Collier tips it in to tie the game heading into halftime.
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