The United States women’s basketball team remains one of the most unstoppable forces in international competition.
Thanks to another dominant showing on Friday in an 85-64 win over Australia, it punched its ticket for an eighth consecutive Olympic final and a chance to win its eighth straight gold medal.
Friday’s win was also its 60th in a row in Olympic competition. The team has not lost a game since the 1992 semifinals to the Unified Team. In fact, it has lost just three Olympic competitions since the 1976 Games.
The U.S. will play for gold on Sunday against France.
It is a staggering run of dominance that is nearly unrivaled in international team sports.
Friday’s game was a clinic in chemistry, passing and ball movement. The American team tallied 31 assists, nearly doubling the 16 that Australia managed. That includes an assist on 27 of their first 28 baskets. Three American starters — Breanna Stewart, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young — had five assists individually, while nobody on the Australian team had more than three.
A’ja Wilson, who finished the game with 10 points and a team-leading eight rebounds, commented on the team’s unselfishness.
“I think we’re moving the ball really, really well. I don’t think I’ve ever been on a team that can move the ball like this,” Wilson said via ESPN. “We’re always looking for good shot to great shot. We preach it, but sometimes we don’t always uphold it on some teams. But I feel like this team, we’re trying to find the best shot on the floor, and I don’t think I’ve ever been on a team that’s like that.”
Considering some of the teams Wilson has played on, including the reigning WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces, that is quite a testament to this team’s commitment.
The United States women’s basketball team has medaled in every competition it has participated in (it did not compete in the 1980 Games as part of an American boycott), claiming nine gold medals, a silver (1976) and a bronze (1992). It is guaranteed at least a silver in the 2024 Games and a chance to claim its 10th overall gold.
