USA women win sixth consecutive Olympic basketball gold medal
RIO DE JANEIRO — Two days before the U.S. women’s basketball team would win its sixth consecutive gold medal, downing Spain 101-72, Diana Taurasi was asked about its unprecedented dominance and whether there was enough mainstream recognition.
“Hey, we’ll see after Saturday,” the 34-year-old guard had quipped after a semifinal win over France. “Run around naked. We’ll all get attention, win or lose.”
Instead, they undressed yet another would-be opponent and showed yet again why they’re so deserving of global attention. The win brought its eight-game margin of victory average to a whopping 37.2 points in what was a 49th consecutive win
By the time their latest dominant deed was done, Taurasi wasn’t quite as consumed with the notion of how many people had tuned in. She was too busy sharing a tearful hug with her old college coach, Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma, who took over the national program in 2010 and has been there for two of the four Olympic golds Taurasi won alongside point guard Sue Bird and forward Tamika Catchings. Young Brittney Griner hoisted fellow first-time Olympian, Elena Delle Donne, into the air as they soaked it all in on the court. All around Taurasi, it was more of the same.
Reflection. Appreciation. Celebration. No matter the ratings.
“I mean you guys are here now,” Taurasi, who had 17 points (including five three pointers), said to a mass of media. “We’re doing something, and basketball is really important to a lot of people in the U.S., and no one takes it more serious than women. We play year round. We sacrifice a lot of things to make sure that we bring this home. And you know what? It’s ok. We’re happy.”
Her premise is on point, though.
Even for fans who may not enjoy the WNBA action that all 12 of these women will now resume, theirs is the rare super team that more than lives up to the billing. The chemistry issues that dogged their U.S. male counterparts during these Games did not apply to the women, Auriemma blending the best in a seamless and collectively selfless way. Taurasi is nothing short of electric, having spent the past 16 years on the global stage showcasing the rare combination of play and personality that makes her such the entertainer.
It was all there to see in the finale.
Taurasi and guard Lindsay Whalen shared the team-high in scoring with 17 points, while forward Maya Moore had 14 points, six assists and five rebounds. Eleven of the 12 players scored. As a group, Team USA shot a scorching 59% from the field against a Spain team they downed 103-63 in group play.
As is always the case with this team, there was little doubt about the final outcome. Spain trailed by just three points midway through the second quarter, but back-to-back Taurasi three-pointers helped sparked Team USA during a 22-8 that put them by 49-32 at halftime. By the time the fourth quarter arrived – thanks to a 39-25 edge in that period - it was nothing but their latest laugher as they led 88-57.
If this were Taurasi’s last Olympics – and she’s not quite sure yet if that’s the case – it was the perfect way to go.
“A couple of those threes, I just had to laugh and shake my head,” said Delle Donne, the 26-year-old small forward and reigning MVP in the WNBA who came off the bench throughout the Games and had 10 points against Spain. “It’s just fun to watch. I idolized her so much growing up, and to be able to play alongside her and see some of that craziness that I saw when I was a young kid falling in love with the game, was really cool for me.”
And therein lies the scary part. Even if Taurasi, Bird and Catchings all call it quits, this shelf is still plenty stocked for this run to continue.
“I keep talking to ‘E’ (Delle Donne) about how we’ve got to do what ‘D’ (Taurasi) and Sue did – that could be us, with Stewie (21-year-old forward Brianna Stewart) as well,” the 25-year-old Griner said. “That could be us. … We’re still young. We’re still learning. We just got our diapers off.”
From the old to the new, worth watching indeed.
PHOTOS: EVERY U.S. MEDAL
