August 9, 2024 – 10:56 AM PDT
PARIS (Reuters) – United States stampeded past Australia 85-64 on Friday and into the Paris Olympics women’s basketball final, setting up the Americans for a possible hoops golden double to close out the Games.
A day after the U.S. men clinched their final spot with a nail-biting win over Serbia, the women advanced with a drama-free blowout to leave them one win away from an unprecedented eighth consecutive gold and 10th overall.
The U.S. now await the winners of France versus Belgium, who meet later on Friday for a spot in Sunday’s final.
If there was a grudge match in the Olympic basketball tournament it was this one between bitter rivals U.S. and Australia.
The Americans have strung together a 60-game unbeaten run, winning seven consecutive Olympic gold medals, and much of that success has come at Australia’s expense.
The Opals have five Olympic medals in women’s basketball but have yet to claim gold, losing to the U.S. in three consecutive finals (2000, 2004 and 2008).
Australia also lost to the U.S. in the semi-finals of the 1996 and 2012 Olympics and the quarter-finals three years ago in Tokyo.
Any chance of Australia getting their revenge was quickly squashed when the U.S. charged ahead 14-4 and never eased off the gas on the way to a 45-27 halftime lead.
The rout continued after the break with the U.S. going up 30 in the fourth quarter before easing to a lopsided decision.
Once again the U.S. were led by twice WNBA most valuable player Breanna Stewart with 16 points, while Jackie Young contributed 14.
Reporting by Steve Keating in Paris; additional reporting Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber. Editing by Clare Fallon