USA Women Top Australia to Advance to An Eighth-Straight Gold Medal Game

09 August 2024

USA 85, Australia 64

View the USA-Australia box score here.

The USA Women’s National Team will play for a record eighth-straight gold medal after toppling Australia 85-64 in the 2024 Olympic Games semifinal. The USA has faced no country more than Australia at the Olympic Games. The Americans are 8-0 all-time vs. the Opals.

The U.S. will face the winner of France vs. Belgium for the gold medal on Sunday, Aug. 11, at Bercy Arena.

The U.S. extended their record Olympic win streak to 60 games since 1996.

Starting Out: Head coach Cheryl Reeve elected to start Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson. Tonight was the second straight game these five have started together at the Olympic Games. The starters combined for 53 points.

Keep the Run Going: The USA entered the second quarter with a four-point lead (20-16) but extended it to 14 with a 10-0 run to start the quarter. Australia was forced to call a timeout with 7:13 to play in the frame after Jewell Loyd hit a corner 3-pointer. Coming out of the timeout, the USA replaced its bench unit on the floor with their starting 5. The red, white and blue starters pushed the lead to 18 (45-27) before heading into the locker room.

The U.S. would go on to outscore the Opals 40-37 in the second half to secure the 85-64 win.

Defense Wins: The Americans' defense was the leading factor in the win. The team held Australia to 40 points through three quarters and 64 total, the lowest number of points allowed by the U.S. in a game in these Olympics. The team’s 12 steals tied their game-high in the competition (12 vs. Germany, 8/4/24). Ultimately, the defense turned to offense, as the USA recorded 19 points off turnovers and 26 fast break points.

Sharing in the City of Love: The USA finished with 31 assists on 34 field goals for the second-straight game. Tonight was their third game with 30+ assists. The USA are the only nation to have multiple games with more than 30 assists in a single tournament (three such games in 2016).

Tonight is the team’s 11th time ever recording 30+ assists. No other team has more than three such games in the history of the competition.

Young, Wild And Free: Young, as she’s done throughout the past three games, scored efficiently for the U.S. She made her first five shots and ended the first half with 10 points (5-6 FG). By the final buzzer, she collected 14 points (6-8 FG, 2-2 FT), 2 rebounds, a team-high-tying 5 assists and 3 steals. She is averaging 16.0 points and shooting 61.3% (19-31 FG) from the field over the last three games.

Where There’s a Wilson, There’s a Way: Wilson walled off the paint for the USA. She recorded 10 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 4 blocks. Her 4 rejections all came in the first half. Tonight is her second game of the tournament with as many blocks (4 vs. Japan, 7/29/24).

She has 12 blocks in the competition and is two shy of tying Lisa Leslie’s U.S. record of 14, which she set in eight games during the 2004 Olympics.

Stew AGAIN: Stewart racked up 11 points (4-8 FG, 1-2 3FG, 2-2 FT) in the first half. Tonight was her fifth consecutive game scoring 10+ points in the first half.

She ended the game with 16 points (6-12 FG), 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal. Tonight's game was her fourth with 15+ points, 5+ rebounds and 5+ assists at the Olympics. Only Brazil's Janeth Arcain (six) has more such games in an Olympic career (BEL's Emma Meesseman also has four).

Kah-mon: Kahleah Copper had her best all-around performance at The Games. She logged 11 points (4-9 FG, 2-4 3FG, 1-1 FT), 6 rebounds and 3 assists in 20:08. All three stats were Olympic career highs for the U.S. guard. Through the previous four games she had a cumulative line of 18 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist.