US coach Geno Auriemma made it a point, however, after the game to stress that unforeseen developments such as Bird’s injury makes it a little bit harder than just who the USA will beat next and “when’s the gold medal ceremony”.
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The United States beat France 86-67 on Thursday to secure their ninth trip to the women’s Olympic basketball final, where they will meet medal game debutantes Spain. A win and the USA would play in the gold medal game on Saturday.
AMERICAN FIRST: Helen Maroulis of the United States defeated Japan’s Saori Yoshida 4-1 in the 53-kilogram freestyle final to win the first-ever gold medal for an American women’s wrestler.
“You’re not going to be able to take someone like that (Sue Bird) out of the lineup and have it just continue to flow smoothly like it did the first six games”, said United States of America head coach Geno Auriemma about the Americans not having four-time Olympian Sue Bird available due to a sprained knee capsule that was suffered in the USA’s quarterfinal game. After taking part in practice, Bird went through a hard workout when it was finished to test the right knee. “I think our post players did a really great job, especially Syl (Sylvia Fowles) down low”. “I mean, when you think, that’s 20 years of 20 years”, Auriemma said. I’m happy for Coach Auriemma and the rest of the staff. The absence of Bird hindered the Americans in this game, but she could return on Saturday to provide her steadying hand.
That’s what the 37-year-old University of Tennessee legend does for this team – even though she’s still the best player for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever – and with as much passion as she seems to do everything. When you get together as a team and you know you only have a month to do something, it’s remarkable in so many ways that we were able to put this together, and do it in a fashion that leaves no question mark. As they showed yesterday it doesnt matter whos out there we have a really good team. “I’m not going to do anything stupid”.
It was the second for Auriemma as head coach, and the fourth for Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi.
“Before the game we said it’s not going to be easy”, Diana Taurasi told NBC Sports after the win.
The U.S. dominated Spain in the preliminary round, beating the Spaniards by 40 points. Carolina Marin of Spain beat the defending Olympic champion from China to advance to the gold medal singles match. Diana Taurasi chose to name his best one.
Team USA, which pounded Spain 103-63 in Group B pool play on August 8, scored the final seven points of the period to take a 21-17 lead after one quarter.
Also, the USA women’s 4×100-meter relay team stayed on track for a medal, getting through on their second chance after re-running their race on their own because Allyson Felix was bumped making a handover in the preliminaries. Theyve kept the streak started by the 1996 team going and now the Americans have won 48 consecutive contests. A Stewart 3-pointer put the Americans in triple figures for the sixth time in eight Olympic games.
Taurasi and Bird, who combined to lead UConn to the 2002 national championship, made their Olympic debut in 2004, as did Catchings.
“You find different inspirations from different people”, said Taurasi. “We hadn’t had a contact practice in a long time, since we left Chicago (after a July 29 exhibition game)”.
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In what was the closest any team has come to beating the USA in Rio, Diana Taurasi scored 18 points as gold medal favourites cruised without the services of Sue Bird. By comparison, the Olympic teams that won gold in 2008 and 2012 only cut it that close twice in 16 games – both in London (a 99-94 win against Lithuania and a 107-100 win over Spain for the gold medal).
