- USA secures eighth consecutive gold in narrow victory
- Basketball star, A'ja Wilson, shines in narrow victory for the US
- The win marks America’s tightest margin of victory in decades
The U.S. women’s basketball team secured their eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal with a narrow victory over host France, winning by just a single point. The final score was 67 to 66 in a match that hinged on the very last shot.
A'ja Wilson led Team USA with 21 points, and they managed to fend off a last-ditch effort by Gabby Williams, who nearly clinched the game for France with a shot just inside the 3-point line. This win marked the closest the U.S. has come to losing an Olympic gold since the 1988 Games, where they narrowly defeated Yugoslavia by seven points.
The only other team that kept the U.S. within single digits in a gold medal match was South Korea in 1984.
Basketball star A'ja Wilson shines in narrow victory
With their victory on Sunday, the U.S. women's team extended their winning streak to 61 consecutive Olympic games. This achievement surpasses the previous record held by the U.S. men's team, who had won seven straight from 1936 to 1968.
In a tightly contested final, Team USA narrowly edged out France with a score of 67 to 66. A'ja Wilson led the charge with 21 points, and the team managed to fend off a last-second attempt by Gabby Williams, whose shot just inside the 3-point line fell short.
Throughout this remarkable streak, no opponent had come close to challenging the Americans. "It's amazing. It truly is a dynasty that we have built here at USAB has been incredible," Wilson said.
"And I am so proud of the resilience that my team showed. We could have fumbled it many times, but we pulled through. To say I am a two-time gold medalist, I am so blessed," the women’s basketball star stated.
LeBron James spotted watching U.S. Women's victory
America’s basketball star, LeBron James, sat by the courtside wearing the gold medal earned by the U.S. men’s basketball team in their win over France on Saturday, as the U.S. women's team capped off a historic double by clinching their gold medal.
The American women faced a fierce challenge from the French team, who held a 10-point lead in the third quarter and seemed on the brink of a monumental upset. Gabby Williams hit a pivotal three-pointer, pulling France to within one point with only five seconds left on the clock.
The game’s final moments were filled with suspense as Williams launched a desperate shot just as time expired. The ball appeared to go in, potentially tying the game at 67-67.
However, a video review confirmed that her shot was taken just inside the three-point line, giving the U.S. a narrow victory by a single point.
Paris Olympics 2024: D’Tigress eliminated by US in the quarterfinals
Previously, TheRadar reported that the women’s basketball team of Nigeria, popularly known as D’Tigress, had been eliminated from the competition after losing to eventual winners, United States.
The match, which took place on Thursday, August 8, ended in an 88-74 scoreline in favour of the United States women’s basketball team.
Many Nigerians sympathised with the team over their loss and encouraged them to keep their heads held high, as they did the country proud in Paris.
