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Team USA remains an unstoppable force in women's basketball.
The Americans capped off a dominant run at the 2022 FIBA World Cup with an 83-61 victory over China in the championship game Saturday. The win marks the fourth consecutive gold medal in this tournament for the U.S. squad.
A'Ja Wilson, fresh off winning the WNBA MVP award and championship, was named Most Valuable Player of the FIBA World Cup. The Las Vegas Aces superstar scored 19 points in the win.
The Chinese team did prove to be a worthy challenger. It held the U.S. to 18 points in the first quarter and only trailed by 10 points at halftime.
The Americans eventually pulled away by outscoring China 25-14 in the third quarter to open a 21-point lead. Kelsey Plum was excellent with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting in just 19 minutes.
China held the United States to 44.6 percent shooting overall, but it made too many mistakes with the ball by committing 19 turnovers.
After the game, Plum posted an image on Twitter of the goals she wrote down for herself before the WNBA season.
Chelsea Gray had one of her best performances of the tournament, posting eight assists, tying her single-game high in the World Cup, to go with three steals.
Saturday's victory extended Team USA's unbeaten streak at the FIBA World Cup to 30 games. Its only loss in major international competition since 1994 was against Russia in the 2006 FIBA World Cup semifinals.
The U.S. also clinched a berth in the 2024 Olympics by winning gold. It has won seven consecutive Olympic titles dating back to 1996.
As the Tokyo Games came to a close Sunday, American women helped the country take the lead in total gold medals thanks to victories in basketball, volleyball and cycling omnium.
It was American Jennifer Valente's victory in the latter, in which she survived a frightening multi-racer crash that included a previous two-time gold medalist, that earned the United States both its first win in the sport and its 39th gold medal of the Games.
Her win capped off an Olympics in which female athletes deservedly grabbed headlines for their excellence on the field, court, mat and in the pool.
Women accounted for 66 of the United States' medals in the Tokyo Games, a record for any nation in Olympic history.
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Final Medal Count
Complete list at Olympics.com.
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7 Straight Golds for Team USA in Women's Hoops
Team USA women's basketball won its seventh straight Olympic gold medal Sunday, defeating host country Japan 90-75. It was a win that further solidified the country's dominance in international play and, for two of its most respected players, established their legacies as the most decorated.
Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi each won her fifth gold medal, making them the most decorated basketball players in United States Olympic history, regardless of gender.
"They've done so much for USA Basketball that the rest of us players are just continuing to try and return the favor and make sure that they realize how much we appreciate them," teammate Breanna Stewart said, per ESPN's Mechelle Voepel.
Their leadership and superb play from Stewart, Brittney Griner and reigning WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson fueled the team in a mostly uncontested competition.
Griner and Wilson dominated the middle Sunday to the tune of 30 and 19 points, respectively, while Stewart added another 14.
The game marked Dawn Staley's final as head coach as she stepped down following the win. "Our country has a lot of great coaches that can get the job done. Me, being a part of I believe six, that's enough. I'm full, I'm full," she said, per USA Today's Dan Wolken.
Takada Maki, arguably Japan's best during these Games, scored 17 points for the host country en route to a silver medal.
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US Volleyball Makes History with 1st Gold
Team USA women's volleyball didn't just defeat Brazil to capture the organization's first gold medal Sunday in the Olympics, it blanked the runners-up, beating them in straight sets. A dominant team throughout the Games, it had lost only one of its eight total matches over the course of the competition.
Jordan Larson, in her third Olympics, delivered the final kill to send Brazil to its first loss. She spoke on her emotions following the victory, per Olivia Reiner of USA Today. "I've cried more in the last 24 hours than I think I have in my career. I'm not an emotional player, emotional person, but I think just the emotions got the best of me. I'm now in kind of this euphoria and like shock state."
Also in shock? Brazil, which entered the contest unbeaten but was soundly defeated.
American coach Karch Kiraly touted the credibility of Brazil and its history of denying the U.S. in Olympic competition. "Brazil is a legend in indoor volleyball, both on the women's side and the men's side...we lost to them in the final in 2008 in Beijing and in 2012 in London."
Team USA accomplished the goal without star spiker Jordan Thompson, who also missed Friday's semifinal against Serbia, making the team's victories in both rounds that much more impressive and memorable.
Showing grit and tenacity, a trademark of the United States' efforts in this year's Games, the women of Team USA volleyball now take their place in the history books.
The Tokyo Olympics concludes Sunday with what will undoubtedly be an awe-inspiring closing ceremony, but before that, there are still several dozen medals to be earned by world-class athletes on the grandest stage in sports.
The United States' women's basketball team will look to cap off a tournament it has dominated by winning its seventh consecutive gold medal.
Team USA's women's volleyball will also look to add to the country's gold-medal count in its final against Brazil.
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Women's Basketball Seeks Historic Gold Against Home Team
In order for the U.S. women's basketball team to capture a seventh straight Olympic gold medal, it will have to defeat host nation Japan.
Reigning WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson will celebrate her 25th birthday as she takes the court for the game. The Las Vegas Aces forward has been among the best players in the Olympics, scoring double digits in every game but one.
She saw a reduced role in the semis against Serbia, but that only served to freshen her up and allow her to focus on a gold-medal game, wherein the U.S. will need her in order to win.
Wilson and fellow Olympic rookie Chelsea Gray know exactly what they are playing for.
"Legacy. It's a standard that USA Basketball has set," Gray told the media following her team's victory over Australia. "There's a lot of great people who have come through this program, some that are still playing."
Two such people are Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi who, at 40 and 39, respectively, may well be competing in their final Games. Their veteran leadership has been invaluable.
Breanna Stewart and Brittney Griner have come up big for the team too in just their second Olympics.
The team will look to utilize what has been a stifling defense throughout the competition to thwart a Japan team that is vastly superior from beyond the arc and touts similar stats. The teams met before in the group stage in a game won by the Americans.
Bird, Taurasi, Wilson, Stewart, Griner and the rest of the team take the court Saturday at 10:30 p.m. ET.
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Team USA Women's Volleyball Battles Brazil for Gold
U.S. women's volleyball head coach Karch Kiraly choked up as he stood in front of the microphone following his team's victory over Serbia, with tears welling up in his eyes. "I want them to experience standing at the top of the podium," he told reporters.
This was a coach whose love for his team and players was evident. He had just watched them overcome the world champions in game that showed their maturity and determination.
The team put away Serbia in decisive fashion, winning in straight sets, thanks to strong showings from opposite Andrea Drews and outside hitter Jordan Larson. The team will hope to have spiker Jordan Thompson back for the final after she sat out the Serbia match with an ankle injury.
The U.S. will need her if it hopes to keep alive its gold-medal aspirations.
Brazil has not been as convincing throughout the tournament, but it has found success through its blocks.
Four players on the team have managed three blocks each.
The U.S. team is surprisingly loose given the enormity of the moment facing them Sunday, though.
"People say we're going to be under so much pressure because we've never won the gold medal," Larson said, per Steve Drumwright of Team USA. "But we're under no pressure because we've never done it. Why not go out swinging?"
The U.S. competes for volleyball gold Sunday at 12:30 a.m. ET.
The women's teams will take center stage on Day 3 of the Olympic Basketball tournament at Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo.Â
Some heavy favorites will be in action including the United States, which will have its first matchup of the Games against Nigeria.
The United States women's team has captured six consecutive Olympic gold medals and figures to be the favorite for a seventh in Japan. It is -1100 (bet $1100 to win $100) to win the tournament at DraftKings Sportsbook.Â
But the U.S. men's shock loss to France shows that international competition isn't always easy to predict. Australia has the next best odds (+1500) and will also be in action on Tuesday. It's also worth noting it is coming off a win over Team USA in a preparation exhibition.Â
Here's a look at the complete schedule for the day and a preview of the key matchups.Â
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Day 3 Olympic Basketball Schedule
Monday, July 26
Men's: Japan vs. Spain (-18), 8 a.m. ET, NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com
Women's: Japan vs. France (-9), 9 p.m. ET, NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com
Women's: USA (-30) vs. Nigeria, 12:40 a.m. ET, USA, NBCOlympics.com
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
The first look at the United States women's team headlines the day. It gets the opportunity to ease into pool play with the Nigerian team on tap. Nigeria already carries a No. 17 FIBA ranking, but it wasn't helped when a pair of WNBA players were denied the opportunity to play.Â
Nneka Ogwumike and Elizabeth Williams both previously played for Team USA. However, when they didn't make the Olympic roster for the Stars and Stripes, they attempted to petition to play for Nigeria.Â
Their appeal was denied by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, leaving the Nigerian team short of two potential stars for their squad.Â
The American team is again loaded with talent and familiar faces. Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi are gunning for their fifth Olympic gold medal. They made their debuts at the Games in 2004 when they were teammates with current U.S. head coach Dawn Staley.Â
The coach is happy with the leadership she is seeing from the veterans, noting Taurasi specifically:
"She just raises the level of our practice, our ability to make great basketball decisions—passing, shooting the basketball, just her whole morale," Staley said, per Mechelle Voepel of ESPN. "She is high energy and just takes our practice to another level."
After the United States men's loss to France in pool play, Spain has to feel good about its chances of making a run at gold. That spells bad news for the Japanese team.Â
Spain figures to be among the elite teams in this tournament. With Marc and Paul Gasol, Juancho and Willy Hernangomez and a host of other former and current NBA talents such as Ricky Rubio, they have one of the deepest talent pools to work with.Â
Japan, meanwhile, went 0-5 in the FIBA Asia tournament that saw Iran earn a berth with a 2-3 record. It will lean heavily on Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura.
The host nation's women's side has a much better chance in its opening game against the French. France carries a No. 5 ranking from FIBA, but Japan isn't that far behind at No. 10.Â
The team did pick up a prep win against Belgium and plays with intensity and energy. That should only be compounded by the fact that it is the home team and winning this game will determine whether it even has a shot to get out of the group phase.Â
It's in a difficult group, with Team USA virtually guaranteed a quarterfinals spot and France coming in as the favorite to get the second.Â
But if the three-pointers start going in and Japan can force some early turnovers, things could get interesting.Â
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Katie Lou Samuelson announced Monday she will not compete at the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for COVID-19:
Samuelson said in her post she is fully vaccinated.
The Seattle Storm forward was set to compete for the USA women's three-on-three team. The team announced Jackie Young will replace her on the squad.
Stefanie Dolson, Allisha Gray and Kelsey Plum will also compete for the United States in the eight-team three-on-three tournament in its first year as an Olympic sport. The Americans will play their first two games on Saturday, July 24.
Samuelson played all six games in qualifying for the Olympics in May.
The 24-year-old was the fourth overall pick of the 2019 WNBA draft but has already played for three different teams in her brief career. She is in the midst of her best season with the Storm in 2021, averaging 6.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.
She is best known for her college career at UConn as a two-time All-American who ranks fifth in school history with 2,342 points.
The United States women's national basketball team roster for the Tokyo Summer Olympics was announced on NBC's Today on Monday morning.
Lyndsey D'Arcangelo of The Athletic relayed the roster, which includes a pair of four-time Olympic gold-medal winners in Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi.
South Carolina women's hoops head coach Dawn Staley, who won three gold medals for Team USA as a player, will lead a roster in search of its seventh straight first-place finish at the Olympics.
Team USA's Olympic legacy is nothing short of remarkable, and this year's loaded roster will be the heavy favorite heading into Olympic competition.
As Richard Deitsch of The Athletic noted, Team USA is 66-3 in the Olympics since 1976 and 48-0 since the gold-medal run began in 1996.
Team USA dropped a hype video following the announcement, featuring comments from the players:
Reigning WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson leads the talented group of first-time Olympians to Tokyo.
WNBA 2019 Rookie of the Year (and All-Star) Napheesa Collier, three-time WNBA All-Defensive Second Team member Ariel Atkins, four-time WNBA All-Star Skylar Diggins-Smith, three-time WNBA All-Star Chelsea Gray and two-time WNBA champion (and All-Star) Jewell Loyd cap that list.
The Olympic returnees have legendary resumes.
Bird's laundry list of accomplishments includes four WNBA championships, two NCAA titles, 11 WNBA All-Star nods and five All-WNBA First Team honors, among many more.
Taurasi is a 10-time All-WNBA first-teamer who has also won three WNBA championships and three NCAA titles.
Tina Charles, a seven-time WNBA All-Star, five-time All-WNBA first-teamer and 2012 WNBA MVP, is looking for her third gold medal. Sylvia Fowles, a two-time WNBA champion, six-time WNBA All-Star and 2017 WNBA MVP, is going for gold medal No. 4.
Brittney Griner and Breanna Stewart round out the team.
Griner, a seven-time WNBA blocks champion who has also led the league in scoring twice, is going for her second gold medal. The center's resume also includes a WNBA title, an NCAA title and six All-Star appearances.
Stewart may be the GOAT by the time her career ends, as she already has an Olympic gold medal, four NCAA titles, two WNBA titles and a WNBA MVP on the record. The Seattle Storm star was also her team's Finals MVP after they beat the Las Vegas Aces in the 2020 WNBA championship.
This year's opening ceremony will take place July 23. The Games will run through Aug. 8.
