USA women squeak by France to win 8th straight basketball gold
Yahoo Sports basketball analyst Isis "Ice" Young discusses how Team USA overcame a frisky France squad to capture another gold medal.
Video Transcript
Well, congratulations to team USA women's basketball on securing an eighth straight Olympic gold medal, the dynasty of all dynasties as Dawn staley put it and this did not come easy.
This was not like the other games in the Olympic games of which they had margins of blowouts.
This was a battle.
It was tough.
France came in their home crowd and they were extremely aggressive.
They wanted to punch first every single time and quite frankly, the first half they did, I felt like they had the United States on their heels committing a lot of turnovers.
USA committed 19 turnovers in their game today.
It was a tie game at 25 all into the half and then third quarter again, France punches first.
They're up 10 in the third quarter versus the United States.
You get to the fourth quarter, you start to think, well, what does the United States need to do?
They need to play defense and then checks in Kalia Copper, Jackie Young had found out you need another great perimeter defender and Kalia Copper in her first Olympic game steps up in the fourth quarter of the biggest game she provided.
So much defense and also scoring eight points in that fourth quarter.
But then you look to the best player in the world and Asia Wilson to do what she does and she did 21 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks.
It wasn't a pretty game and France definitely keyed in on her and wanted to make Asia frustrated, but she was so resilient in the way she was able to play and bring her team with her special.
Not as well to Kelsey Plum who played great minutes down the stretch and also scored 12 points off the bench.
Now, fourth quarter is here.
End of game, there's less than five seconds left.
USA is up three.
Gabby Williams for has the ball.
She goes coast to coast, pulls up at the three shoots the ball.
It goes in.
Is it a three?
It's not, her foot is on the line.
It's a two and team USA walks away with the gold.
It was clear during these Olympic Games that Asia Wilson and Brianna Stewart carry this team.
Congratulations to Asia on securing a second gold medal.
Stewy gets her third gold medal and team USA remains the best team that we have ever seen in the Olympic Games, eight straight gold medals for them.
Congratulations to the ladies.