The United States won the women’s basketball gold medal for the sixth consecutive time after beating Spain 101-72 at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games on Saturday.
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Spain’s silver medal is the first medal the country has won in women’s basketball, and the Spaniards kept it close in the first quarter, in part because Team USA committed a slew of turnovers.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – Geno Auriemma and Diana Taurasi shared a long, emotional embrace. REUTERS/Jim Young FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY.
On Saturday, the US was victorious over Spain by a final score of 101-72 to capture the gold medal, their sixth consecutive in the event, to continue a dominant run in Olympic competition that dates back to 1996.
After a sloppy start that saw Spain lead much of the opening quarter, the US finally settled into their familiar rhythm, turning a 10-0 run into a 17-point halftime lead. But there’s never a bad time to remember that the USA women’s basketball team is really, really good.
Only two other teams can claim such a run of domination in an Olympic team sport.
Georgia’s Angel McCoughtry of the Atlanta Dream and Collins Hill high school graduate Maya Moore were important members of the team. There is such a level of expectation, there’s such a level of respect for the people at the very top. Since then, they’re playing with the kind of fire and focus that was lacking in those near-disaster games.
“We’re doing stuff that may never be done again”.
It was an historic ending for a storied group, the the first time any women’s team has won six golds in a row in Olympic history. Maya Moore added 14 points, five rebounds and six assists.
“It’s pretty incredible”, Taurasi said. With a final score of 101-72, US snagged its sixth straight gold medal in Rio. “It’s not about one person, one coach, it’s about how can we make this the best basketball team ever”.
Team USA extended its winning streak to 49-0 dating back to the bronze-medal game at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games and has a 66-3 record overall.
Humbled 103-63 by the U.S.in preliminary round play, Spain had looked determined to offer more resistance in the final, holding a 17-14 lead late in the opening quarter.
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The rims were tight, to begin with for both squads, but Maya Moore and Tina Charles helped change that to give the United States of America an early 5-2 lead in quarter one.
