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…
