France surprised Belgium 81-75 in extra time on Friday to succeed in the Olympic ladies’s basketball remaining, the place they’ll attempt to cease america successful an eighth straight gold.
The USA stored their bid for historical past alive with a largely trouble-free 85-64 victory over Australia.
Gabby Williams scored 9 of her 18 factors in extra time to assist France emulate their male counterparts in reaching the ultimate.
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“This can be a once-in-a-lifetime alternative and I’m so completely satisfied,” Williams stated. “This nation, this federation, they’ve given a lot to me.”
Williams, held in test early by Belgium, proved the distinction maker when it mattered, changing a three-point play when she was fouled on a layup to get France off on the best foot in extra time.
Emma Meesseman pulled Belgium inside one at 76-75, however Williams hit one other layup then made a pair of free throws to provide France some respiration room and after Janelle Salaun made a remaining free throw within the remaining second the Bercy Enviornment crowd erupted in pleasure.
“I’m glad the sport went this manner as a result of it’s going to be a sport we always remember, the nation of France will always remember,” Williams stated. “It’s type of enjoyable to win video games which can be somewhat ugly, somewhat intense.”
It was one other bitter disappointment for European champions Belgium, who misplaced their quarterfinal on the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Video games by one level of their first Olympic look.
They’d had the sting in a fast-paced first half main by as many as 17 factors.
However France, with 17 factors from Valeriane Ayayi and 15 from Iliana Rupert, had been down by simply three going into the ultimate quarter.
Rupert made a pair of free throws to place France forward and so they stretched the margin to as many as six earlier than Julie Vanloo’s three free throws and a three-pointer from Meesseman despatched it to extra time.
“We tried,” Meesseman stated. “I feel we got here up quick in some moments. We weren’t constant sufficient.”
– USA on cruise management –
The USA made it look simple towards Australia, taking management early and clamping down defensively to maintain an Opals staff stocked with WNBA expertise in test.
Two-time WNBA Most Invaluable Participant Breanna Stewart scored 16 factors to steer 4 US gamers in double figures.
“From begin to end, we had been capable of get the job completed and get what we needed,” Stewart stated. “We had been capable of get stops and get out in transition and rating the ball fairly properly for probably the most half.”
Jackie Younger added 14 factors and two steals and two-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson contributed 10 factors, eight rebounds and 4 blocked photographs, her blocks coming within the first half when the US established a dominant defensive presence.
After america leapt to a 12-4 lead Australia discovered a little bit of rhythm to slice the deficit to 18-16.
However a turnaround leap shot from Brittney Griner and a three-pointer from Kahleah Copper had the US racing away once more.
With 3:09 left within the third, Younger got here up with a steal and raced the size of the court docket for a basket. Moments later Stewart accomplished a three-point play and america had a 23-point lead.
The ultimate quarter noticed extra of the identical, the US main by as many as 30 earlier than it was throughout.
“We’re getting everyone’s finest shot,” Griner stated.
“It’s simply after we’re locked in like this we’re actually good and we’re actually environment friendly,” she added of a US staff aiming to proceed the gold medal run they began in Atlanta in 1996.
One other victory would see them go forward of the US males’s basketball staff, who gained seven straight Olympic golds from 1936-68.