USA Women Capture Sixth Straight Gold Medal, Defeat Spain 101-72

(photo credit: Associated Press)

The United States Women’s Basketball Team came into the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio with one goal: capture their sixth straight gold medal. After a dominating run in this year’s Olympics, the Americans can officially say mission accomplished. The United States wound up earning their sixth straight gold medal after they defeated Spain 101-72 in the gold medal game on Saturday afternoon at Carioca Arena 1 in Rio. The U.S. defeated Spain by 40 points in pool play, but the Spaniards weren’t going to let that happen again, at least it seemed that way in the first quarter. 

The U.S. got off to a slow start, as they only led 21-17 at the end of the first quarter. The Americans had a 27-24 lead in the second quarter, when Head Coach Geno Auriemma decided to go with something very familiar to him to spark the United States. Auriemma, the Head Coach of women’s basketball at Connecticut, put five of his former Huskies on the floor at the same time for the first time in these Olympics, and it seems that he made the right decision. Those five players went on a 16-3 run which blew the game wide open, as the Americans were leading 49-32 at the halftime break. Spain only scored two baskets in the final 6:55 of the first half. 

The Spaniards never came close to making a comeback in the second half. Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, and Tamika Catchings are all playing in their fourth Olympics, and the dynamic trio exited the court together for what might be one final time with just under six minutes left in the fourth quarter. Catchings is playing in her final Olympics, and there’s no better way for her to end her career then winning a gold medal. Taurasi and Bird have both hinted at retiring, so the U.S. Women’s Basketball Team will definitely have a new look by the time they take the floor for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Catchings, Bird, and Taurasi joined Lisa Leslie and Teresa Edwards as the only Olympians to win four gold medals in women’s basketball. Taurasi and Lindsey Whalen both scored 17 points to lead the United States. The Americans have now won 49 straight games in the Olympics with only one of those games being decided by single digits. Despite the loss, these Olympic Games were definitely a bright spot for Spain. The Spaniards earned their first ever medal in women’s basketball.