The United States women’s basketball team’s global supremacy continued by the skin of its teeth, making it the most successful team in Olympic history on Sunday with a 67-66 victory over France for an eighth consecutive gold medal and a dramatic finish to the 2024 Summer Olympics in France.
Nursing a three-point lead with 3.8 seconds to go after Kahleah Cooper hit a pair of free-throws, France’s Gabby Williams hit a circus, one-handed shot from long-range at the buzzer, but her foot was inside the three-point line as the hosts came up inches short of forcing overtime.
Copper, who plays for the Phoenix Mercury, scored 10 of her 12 points in the fourth quarter to pace the Americans — who never led by more than four points in the final 10 minutes — and hold off the gritty host nation, who at one point looked poised to end the United States Olympic winning streak, which now stretches to 61 games. Team USA women’s basketball has not lost at the Summer Games since 1992.
Tied at 25 apiece at halftime, France sucker-punched the United States with a 10-0 run to start the third quarter thanks in part to sloppy American play that featured 19 turnovers on the day.
Working through a difficult afternoon shooting from the field, A’ja Wilson provided a spark with her defense — a staple of her game as a two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. Three blocks in quick succession was a staple of the United States’ comeback in the third quarter, which featured an 8-0 run to wipe away the surprising French lead.
The Las Vegas Aces superstar was the American engine all afternoon, leading all scorers with 21 points with 13 rebounds and four blocks.
“We could have crumbled many times, but we pulled through,” Wilson told NBC after the game. “We just did what we had to do… We understood what we had in our locker room and leaning on each other, constantly talking to each other, and believing in each other.”
Trailing 40-35 late in the third, she then scored four straight points to bring the Americans back within one before four straight points from Napheesa Collier gave the US its first lead of the second half. France’s Marine Johannes tied things at 43 apiece with a deep three-pointer before a pair of Wilson free throws gave the US a 45-43 lead heading into the final quarter.
A physical, grind-it-out affair saw France continue to hang with the Americans, which was unable to open up more than a two-point lead for the majority of the final quarter.
Wilson hit a wild pull-up jumper from the free-throw line which went off the front rim, the top of the backboard, and in, to give the Americans a three-point lead at 58-55 with 3:05 to go
Williams, who led France with 19 points, scored four straight points to sandwich a pair of Kelsey Plum free throws to cut the US lead to one inside two minutes to go.
Copper hit a layup with 1:20 remaining to go back up three and the US looked poised to put it away with 20 seconds left when Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty blocked a Marine Fathoux three-point attempt. Wilson was fouled two-and-a-half seconds later and hit one of two free throws to go up four with 17.4 seconds left.
Stewart, the reigning WNBA MVP, finished with eight points and three rebounds.
Both teams traded free throws before Williams drained a three-pointer with 4.9 seconds left to bring France within one at 65 -64. Copper both free throws with 3.8 seconds left to put the US back up three — necessary makes as Williams nearly forced overtime with what was the equivalent of a deep floater from 22 feet away.
