Paris (AFP) – The all-conquering US women’s basketball team chase an historic eighth straight Olympic gold on Sunday against French opponents fuelled by the “love” of their fans. The US women have won basketball gold at the past seven Olympic Games, starting at Atlanta in 1996. An eighth straight triumph would give them the record for most consecutive gold medals in any team sport at the Olympic Games — breaking a tie with the US men, who won seven basketball titles in a row from 1936 to 1968.
“I think the gold medal is the standard,” US forward Alyssa Thomas said. “No matter where we are in the world, it’s our goal and that’s what we came here for.” It promises to be an emotional affair at Bercy Arena, where for the first time in Games history the men’s and women’s finals featured identical match-ups. Delirious fans erupted in joy when France’s women polished off European Champions Belgium in overtime in the semi-finals, Gabby Williams scoring nine of her 18 points in the extra session as the hosts rallied from a 17-point deficit.
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“It’s a love letter to our fans and supporters,” said an ecstatic Williams, who won two US collegiate titles with the University of Connecticut and a EuroLeague Women championship with Sopron Basket in 2022. Nevada-born, Williams qualifies to play for France through her mother, Therese, and she was part of the team that won bronze at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games three years ago. Now France are back in the final for the first time since 2012, with a chance to grab the last gold medal of the Paris Games.
“The atmosphere has made us want to cry every single game,” said Williams. “What I love is our connection between us and our love for each other. If anything is going to bring gold, it is going to be that.” Whether it will be enough against a well-oiled US machine is another matter. “We all understood, coming into this team, what our strengths were,” said WNBA sharp-shooter Sabrina Ionescu. “When we play, it looks effortless and easy, because we just make simple plays,” she said. “I love it because that’s kind of the style that I play. Moving the ball, being able to play off it, on it.”
Ionescu is also relishing the chance to play alongside the best in her league. “There’s not that many opportunities to play with the best players in the world, seeing how they play, and how to improve as a player as well,” she said.
– **’You have to believe’** –
That wealth of talent and experience includes 42-year-old Diana Taurasi, who is shooting for a sixth straight Olympic gold. “Even in the WNBA, she’s the greatest to ever do it,” Thomas said. “All of us are just excited to share this moment with her. Six (medals) is crazy.”
Everyone on the US team knows that for their campaign to be counted a success, the medal must be gold. “We just want to keep that going,” said guard Jackie Young, who has shone on both ends of the floor since being handed a starting role in the United States’ quarter-final victory over Nigeria. “I think it’s just handling it one game at a time, and we have one more game on Sunday.”
Williams and her France teammates are under no illusion as to the magnitude of the task they face. “You have to believe if you want to do something special,” she said.
© 2024 AFP
