France pushed defending champions USA till the final second, however misplaced the ultimate at a packed Bercy Enviornment in Paris.
France pushed the USA till the dying seconds of an exciting ladies’s basketball gold medal match, however misplaced by a single level in a 67-66 scoreline at a packed Bercy Enviornment in Paris.
The match ebbed and flowed between hosts France and defending champions USA till the final buzzer sounded in entrance of a partisan dwelling crowd on Sunday.
The US’ tenth gold medal in ladies’s basketball capped the Olympic Video games in Paris and ensured the nation completed on high of the medals desk forward of rivals China.
A’ja Wilson scored a game-high 21 factors for the People, surviving a buzzer-beating shot from France’s Gabby Williams.
The hosts wanted a 3 to drive extra time, however Williams’s foot was on the three-point line as she let go of the ball, so her shot counted for simply two factors in a dramatic finale.
The Best Dynasty EVER
The 🇺🇸 #USABWNT wins an eighth-straight Olympic Gold. pic.twitter.com/3BZGcBgN48
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 11, 2024
The USA ladies received help from LeBron James, who sat courtside sporting his gold medal, joined by team-mates Bam Adebayo and Derrick White.
A low-scoring first quarter noticed a cold-shooting France muster simply 9 factors, however the USA solely fared marginally higher and led by six after 10 minutes.
Williams trimmed the hole to some extent with a 3 early within the second interval earlier than a basket from Valeriane Ayayi tied the sport at 20-20.
Marine Fauthoux drained a 3 from close to midcourt with the shot clock expiring to ship the gang wild, however Napheesa Collier’s putback ensured the groups headed into the break stage at 25-25.
France strung collectively a 10-point run to begin the third interval as Fauthoux and Ayayi each nailed threes.
The USA hit again to guide 45-43 going into the ultimate quarter, with Kelsey Plum connecting on a pair of threes – one after Marine Johannes took a nasty blow from Wilson that went unpunished, to France’s fury.
Wilson belatedly discovered some rhythm offensively after a troublesome first half, however France had a solution every time and went again in entrance, 51-49, on Marieme Badiane’s layup.
The USA nudged again forward, Wilson getting a form bounce off the backboard and Plum sinking a pair of free throws to go away them main by three with two minutes to play.
Williams’s jumper made it one level earlier than Kahleah Copper drove to the basket to maintain the USA within the driving seat.
A travelling name in opposition to Wilson gave the ball again to France with round 45 seconds left, however Fauthoux’s desperation three got here up properly quick underneath stress from Breanna Stewart.
Wilson then made a free throw to increase the result in 4 and Plum seemed to have clinched the win with a pair of foul photographs, however Williams stored France alive with a clutch three.
Copper held her nerve to sink two extra free throws for the USA to revive their cushion to 3.
They wanted each level as Williams almost pulled off a miraculous escape act because the buzzer sounded solely to be denied by a matter of centimetres.
By profitable the final obtainable medal, the USA completed with 40 gold medals and 125 complete medals forward of China’s 40 gold and 91 complete.
Earlier on Saturday, the boys’s gold medal match noticed the identical consequence, with the all-star USA crew beating France 98-87.
