The Americans beat France to win Olympic gold, but it wasn’t the match we expected

It wasn’t the most anticipated dominating victory, but Team USA still managed to prevail 67-66 over France to win the gold medal.

The victory marked the U.S. women’s basketball team’s eighth consecutive gold medal — and 61st consecutive Olympic victory — but it was a thrilling, action-packed affair that few could have predicted given America’s dominance throughout this tournament.

Team USA trailed by 10 points in the third quarter, but big second halves from A’ja Wilson, Kahleah Copper and Kelsey Plum helped them secure the victory.

What was the difference between France and the United States at the end of the match?

“We had A’ja Wilson and they didn’t,” South Carolina basketball coach Dawn Staley said on NBC’s postgame broadcast.

Wilson led the way with 21 points (6-14 points), 13 rebounds and 4 blocks, but started the game with several uncharacteristic missed shots around the basket.

“I’m very proud of the resilience my team showed,” Wilson told NBC after the game. “We could have lost the ball, we could have collapsed a lot of times, but we came through.”

For France, Gabby Williams was terrific throughout the game. She finished with 19 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists, including 5 points in the last 5 seconds.

With Team USA leading by 4 points with 11 seconds left, Williams hit a three-pointer to cut the deficit to one point. Copper responded with two decisive free throws, then Williams hit another shot at the buzzer, but she quickly discovered her foot was on the line, resulting in a one-point loss for France.

The first half couldn’t have been worse – and it was.

From the start, the USA looked helpless. The score was 25 at halftime and A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart both struggled offensively, shooting just 3 of 15 from the field. Turnovers worked in the USA’s attack’s favor: they turned over 13 balls in the first half and shot just 28 percent from the field.

The draw marked the first time the Americans did not lead at halftime in an Olympic match since the 2012 semifinal against Australia (which the United States ultimately won).

At halftime, Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie said she was shocked by America’s performance.

“Here’s the good news,” she told NBC. “The United States played its worst game, its worst half, and the score is still tied.”

But the poor first half only got worse for the USA after halftime. They trailed by 10 points in the third quarter, a stark reality considering they have led by more than 20 points for most of the tournament. France looked set to blow the score when the USA responded with an 8-0 run to get back in the game.

Kelsey Plum was instrumental during that stretch, hitting two three-pointers, while Napheesa Collier and Wilson both started to find some offensive rhythm.

Kahleah Copper dominated the fourth quarter

Earlier in the Olympics, the Mercury’s Kahleah Copper received a DNP and appeared to be one of the last players in the rotation. But she’s been getting more minutes of late and was the hero of this game, scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter to keep the U.S. offense going while the Stars struggled.

She finished the game with 12 points and 5 rebounds, and posted a game-best plus-minus of +8.

After the game, Wilson was asked to describe Copper on live television, and he had only two words: “That b****.”

France made a courageous effort in defeat

Gabby Williams was the star for France, finishing the game with 19 points on 7-16 shooting, along with 7 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists.

Valériane Ayayi and Marine Johannes each added 9 points, while Marieme Badiane and Marine Fauthoux each added 8 points.

Cheryl Reeve, the US team coach, praised the incredible atmosphere at Bercy Arena: “What better way to end the Paris Olympics than to see this.”

Reeve acknowledged the match had its difficult moments, but celebrated the victory nonetheless.

“It takes a lot of trust,” Reeve said. “I’m glad we were able to do that.”

In turn, the United States won its 61st consecutive Olympic victory, a winning streak unmatched among team sports at the Olympic Games.

Dawn Staley summed it up best after the game: “We are the dynasty of all dynasties.”