South Carolina basketball legend A'ja Wilson and the United States Basketball Women's National Team entered Sunday as heavy favorites to beat Team France and secure their 8th Olympic gold medal in a row as Team USA had won every gold since 1992 when they took home the bronze.
A victory over the host country's national team would mean that Wilson and Team USA would become the first national team (in any sport and from any country) to win 8-straight gold medals at the Summer Olympics.
The Americans got off to a good start on Sunday morning, but France battled and made things much more competitive the rest of the way. Still, as the final seconds ticked off the clock, the scoreboard read 67-66 in favor of the United States, and Wilson had her second Summer Olympics gold medal (2020/2021 in Tokyo).
You can check out the entire box score here.
For the game, the best player in the world posted a stat line of 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks while also delivering a clutch free throw down the stretch. She proved her status as the top women's basketball player in the game all tournament, and the final against France was no different. Wilson was named the Olympics MVP as she averaged a double-double and shot over 50% for the tournament.
Now with another gold medal for her mantle, A'ja Wilson will head back to the states as the overwhelming favorite to be the WNBA MVP. She is on pace to break all-time records for scoring and rebounding and has the Aces poised to have a real chance to win their 3rd-straight WNBA Finals championship.
Wilson will have a very short break before the WNBA season begins. Her Las Vegas Aces squad resumes their schedule after the break for the Paris Olympics with a tough test against the New York Liberty and Wilson's Team USA teammates Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu. The game against the Liberty is slated for Saturday, August 17th for a 4:00 PM ET tip-off and will be played in Vegas.