PARIS — It’s hard to quantify the greatest passing teams in basketball history — the Argentina men from the 2000s or perhaps the San Antonio Spurs from the mid-2010s have a case. But it is fair to say this version of the Team USA women, full of masters of the art, is among the candidates.
Watching the Americans execute offense and share the ball over the past two weeks in France has been somewhere between a clinic and an exhibition. The ball moves with an unselfishness, confidence and ease that belies the idea that this team was relatively rushed together.
The display Friday night was brilliant and at the same time typical, as Team USA racked up 31 assists on its way to an 85-64 semifinal victory over Australia. The Americans, now winners of 60 consecutive Olympic games, will play against France for their eighth straight gold medal Sunday. The French defeated Belgium 82-75 in overtime to reach their first gold medal game since 2012.
“It speaks to the journey that we’ve been on that they don’t care who gets the credit, they just want to win,” coach Cheryl Reeve said. “And we said that we could reach our greatest heights if we…
