Yes, Team USA knew winning another gold would not be easy. But, an eighth-straight gold was more difficult than expected, as France challenged the United States for a full 40 minutes. Only when the final buzzer sounded on the 67-66 win was the Americans’ golden quest complete.

France established the terms of engagement in the opening quarter, with the hosts successfully forcing Team USA to play scrum-style basketball. Deflections, strips, blocks and boards, rather than points scored, defined the opening frame. France’s inability to defend without fouling, gifting the Americans 10 free throw attempts, helped the United States claim a 15-9 advantage after the first.

The second quarter saw much of the same. The Americans’ search for a big, momentum-swinging play that would sap the French’s spirit instead resulted in too many turnovers and no offensive rhythm. In the first half, Team USA coughed up the ball 13 times. France remained unfazed, playing with relentless energy even as point-blank scoring opportunities repeatedly rolled off the rim. With just over four minutes to go before the half, their persistence paid off as the home team tied it up at 20 all on a Valeriane Ayayi jumper. After a free throw from Breanna Stewart and beautiful paint score from A’ja Wilson gave Team USA a three-point edge, Marine Fauthoux drained a desperation 3-point heave as the shot clock sounded, evening the score and igniting the French faithful.

A jumper from Janelle Salaün then boosted Les Bleues to the lead approximately one minute before halftime, with only a last-moment tip-in by Napheesa Collier saving the Americans from trailing at the break. Instead, it was knotted at 25-25. Gabby Williams led the French with eight first-half points, along with three boards and three steals. Wilson had a team-high six points and nine boards for the Americans. Collier also had nine rebounds, while Stewart added five points, a pair of steals and a block.

Halftime did not help the Americans. As France’s length continued to inhibit Team USA’s ability to finish inside, the French began the second half on 10-0 run, which included a timeout-forcing triple from Ayayi. A corner 3-pointer by Kelsey Plum, created off a drive by Kahleah Copper, began to turn the tide in the Americans’ favor. Yet, a couple of buckets by Leïla Lacan, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun, kept the United States from reeling off an uninterrupted string of scores.

Team USA also took their defense to another level, powered by Wilson, the back-to-back WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. With under two and half minutes to go in the third, Sabrina Ionescu found Wilson on a wide-open slip to the basket, giving the Americans, who trailed by 10 earlier in the period, a one-point advantage, 41-40. But just when Team USA appeared poised to begin to pull away, Marine Johannès conjured some of her signature shotmaking magic, swishing a 3-pointer over a contest from Wilson. A pair of free throws from Wilson then gave the Americans a bit of breathing room entering the fourth, 45-43.

After a rather high-scoring third quarter, the game again ground into slog in the fourth, with points hard to come by in the opening minutes. The Americans also had to contend with an unforgiving whistle, alert to any perceived violation by Team USA. But, the fearless offensive aggression of Wilson and Copper, both of whom dared the French to try to slow them as they drove to the basket, kept Team USA in the back-and-forth battle and, eventually, allowed them to prevail.

However, Williams fired a pair of final salvos for the French. After Plum seemed to have iced the win at the free throw line, giving Team USA a 65-61 edge, Williams hit a triple over Wilson to cut the margin to a single point. Two more free throws by Copper then appeared to confirm the American victory, only for Williams to threaten to send the game into overtime with a buzzer-beating basket that was a step inside the 3-point line, allowing Team USA to escape 67-66.

Wilson finished with a double-double of 21 points and 13 rebounds, in addition to four blocks. Copper scored 10 of her 12 points in the fourth quarter; she also had five boards and two steals. Plum matched Copper with 12 points, while Collier contributed seven points and 11 rebounds. Williams’ 19 points and seven rebounds led France, with Ayayi and Johannès both adding nine points.

Ezi elevates the Aussies to bronze

It had been a somewhat disappointing Olympics for Ezi Magbegor. The most talented player for the Australian side, she had not scored more than 14 points or grabbed more than six rebounds in a single game across the Olympic competition.

All that changed in the bronze medal match. Magbegor displayed the depth and breadth of her abilities with a 30-point and 13-rebound double-double masterpiece. She also added three blocks and two steals to help Australia hold off Belgium, 85-81, and claim the bronze.

Alanna Smith served as Magbegor’s supporting star with a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds. Smith powered the pivotal run by the Opals in the middle of the fourth quarter. With the game tied at 69 all, the Aussies scored the next seven points, with six of them from Smith. That gave Australia the 76-69 edge, enough of a cushion as Belgium fired their best shot.

Emma Meesseman once again was brilliant for the Belgians with 23 points and five boards, while Julie Vanloo finished with 26 points and 11 assists. If not for the absence of Julie Allemand, Belgium likely would have ended their second Olympic appearance with a medal; instead, a six-point overtime loss to France in the semifinals was followed by four-point defeat to Australia.

Wilson named Olympic MVP

Team USA’s A’ja Wilson was named MVP of the women’s Olympic basketball tournament, averaging a double-double of 18.7 points and 10.2 rebounds across the six American victories.

Breanna Stewart joined Wilson on the All-Star Five, along with France’s Gabby Williams, Australia’s Alanna Smith and Belgium’s Emma Meesseman. Williams also was named the Best Defensive Player of the tournament. Rena Wakama, head coach of Nigeria, the first team from Africa to advance to the quarterfinals, was honored as the Best Coach.

Belgium and Australia will play for a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics this Sunday, Aug. 11. The third-place game in the women’s 5×5 basketball tournament will tip-off at 5:30 a.m. ET and can be streamed digitally via Peacock.

Belgium has already made history by making the bronze medal game, having bowed out in the first round of the women’s basketball tournament at the 2020 Tokyo Games in the country’s first-ever Olympic appearance. In that one-point loss to eventual silver medalists Japan, it was clear that the international basketball world had not seen the last of the Belgians, and that given good health, they’d be back and better in 2024.

It’s safe to say that’s come to fruition. In Paris, Belgium officially has taken that next step, ranking third among competing teams in points per game (76.4) and second in field goal percentage (46.8 percent) thanks to a roster with several talented playmakers and shooters. Look no further than Belgium’s passing statistics to get an idea of why they’ve been so good: four of their players are averaging at least four assists per game (Emma Meesseman, Julie Vanloo, Antonia Delaere and Elise Ramette), a surefire indication of an unselfish group that doesn’t need any one player to dominate the basketball in order to succeed.

Make no mistake, though: Meesseman is still Belgium’s star. In fact, she’s been playing like one of the best players in the world. The veteran forward has made a name for herself in the WNBA for over a decade with her unique skillset and efficiency with the basketball, and her talents have been on full display in Paris. She’s leading the competition in scoring at 23.4 points per game, and in typical Meesseman fashion, is shooting at an extremely accurate clip (59.8 percent).

How Australia defends Meesseman will be paramount in their effort to reestablish themselves as regular Olympic medalists. After a period during which Australia medaled in five-consecutive Olympics (1996 through 2012), they failed to advance past the first round of the tournament in both 2016 and 2020.

Though Australia may not be as dominant relative to the field as they were in the 2000s, they still have more than enough talent to compete, as evidenced by their performance in Paris. The Aussies have a well-balanced squad, featuring length in the frontcourt with Ezi Magbegor and Alanna Smith, knockdown outside shooting courtesy of Sami Whitcomb and Tess Madgen and two-way versatility in Steph Talbot.

Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images

For as balanced as the Australian roster is, it’s still searching for its next star player to lead it back to the heights the program once enjoyed. In this respect, the bronze medal game is just as big of an opportunity for Australia as it is for Belgium: one up-and-coming young team looking to establish itself as an international basketball superpower, and the other a veteran group out to prove that its best days are not completely in the past.

Game information

Belgium vs. Australia

When: Sunday, August 11 at 5:30 a.m. ET

Where: Bercy Arena in Paris, France

How to watch: Peacock, USA Network

For much of the women’s 5×5 basketball competition at the 2024 Olympics, Team USA comfortably has cruised at altitude. Although encountering occasional bouts of turbulence, the Americans always remained in control. However, in Friday’s semifinal matchup against Australia, Team USA launched into a higher stratosphere, leaving no doubt in their dominance of the Opals, 85-64. A 60th-straight win secured the Americans a chance at an eighth-straight gold.

On Sunday, Team USA will be meet France in the gold medal match at 9:30 a.m. ET (NBC). If the Americans approach the crowning contest with a similarly elevated intentionality and intensity, it will be shocking if, soon after the final buzzer sounds, gold medals are not being placed around the necks of the 12 members of Team USA as the US national anthem plays and the Stars and Stripes are raised.

But, that doesn’t mean that the hosts will not try to make it hard on the United States. France survived a semifinal slugfest against Belgium on Friday, overcoming poor shooting with will and want to in the overtime win, 81-75. A talented roster, a raucous crowd and maybe a little (or a heavy dose of) home cooking should allow Les Bleues to hang with Team USA. At least for a half or so.

For all Gabby Williams’ smart and savvy two-way play, Marine Johannès’ fearless shotmaking, Janelle Salaün’s defensive intensity and Iliana Rupert’s intriguing versatility, the French do not have the steam required to keep up with the Americans, where two of the best players in women’s basketball history—A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart—are flanked by some of the best passers, shooters, defenders and shot blockers in the sport.

Increasingly, head coach Cheryl Reeve has looked to press Team USA’s athletic advantages, devoting more playing time to now-established starter Jackie Young, one of the strongest, most explosive players on the roster, and emerging super sub Kahleah Copper, surely the fastest player in a US uniform. Brittney Griner, with her incomparable height, and Alyssa Thomas, equipped with muscle and motor, give the Americans further athletic edges that France, possibly the competition’s second-most athletic team, simply cannot compete with for a full 40 minutes.

While this Olympic competition has served as evidence of the increasing and expanding quality of women’s international basketball, the sport’s improving depth has not deterred the United States’ dominance. They have refused to allow the rest of the world catch up. And on Sunday, expect the American Olympic dynasty to be furthered cemented with a 61st-straight win and an eighth-straight gold.

Game information

United States vs. France

When: Sunday, August 11 at 9:30 a.m. ET

Where: Bercy Arena in Paris, France

How to watch: NBC

In the semifinals of the women’s 5×5 basketball tournament at the 2024 Olympic Games, Team USA had no problem taking out Australia, winning 85-64. France needed a push in the fourth, but they beat Belgium in overtime, 81-75.

Team USA and France will now face each other in the gold medal match on Sunday, Aug. 11 at 9:30 a.m. ET, while the bronze matchup will feature Belgium and Australia at 5:30 a.m. ET.

How Team USA beat Australia

The Americans went with Jackie Young in the starting lineup, just like they had in the quarterfinal contest. Young had another productive game, scoring 14 points during her 19 minutes of play and helping the United States win their 60th-straight Olympic game.

Team USA’s scoring was relatively even, with four different players in double figures. Breanna Stewart had another phenomenal performance, scoring 16 points and going 6-for-12 from the field. Kahleah Copper continues to be one of the more underrated players on the squad, leading the Americans in scoring off the bench with 11 points.

Australia had plenty of WNBA talent on its roster, but struggled to score points. Isobel Borlase led the Opals with 11 points, while Marianna Tolo and Tess Madgen scored 10 points each.

How France beat Belgium

In what was undoubtedly one of the best games of these Olympics, the host country, France, they just edged out Belgium in overtime. Gabby Williams led Les Bleues with 18 points, and Belgium’s Emma Meesseman scored a team-high 19 points.

The game was a back-and-forth affair down the stretch, with Belgium leading entering the closing quarter. France went on a 6-0 run to start the fourth to take the lead and control of the game. Belgium stayed within striking distance throughout the frame, and Meesseman hit the biggest 3-pointer of the tournament, tying the score with 11 seconds to go.

France had one more shot at ending the game in regulation, but after a missed 3-pointer by Valeriane Ayayi, we ended regulation even at 66. In overtime, Iliana Rupert made a clutch 3-pointer for France, and Williams brought the result home by converting on a layup and making her free throws to ice the game and secure the win.

Key takeaways

The gold medal game is set, and we have a great matchup between Team USA and France. Funny enough, the men’s matchup is the same as the women’s, so it will be amazing to see if the Americans can beat the French twice at home to earn the gold in both divisions.

No one has tested the American women just yet, so we’ll see if France can shock the world on Sunday and bring home the gold.