Unbeatable: US women's National Team beat Japan to win their seventh straight Olympic gold / News - Basketnews.com

The United States women's NT joined the men's NT by beating Japan and becoming the Olympic champions.

The Americans dominated Japan 90-75 (23-14, 27-25, 25-17, 15-19) to win their seventh straight Olympic gold medals.

The last time the US women's NT lost on the Olympic stage was in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. They are on a 49 game winning streak and are the reigning Olympic champions since 1996.

Veterans Sue Bird (40 years old) and Diana Taurasi (39 years old) broke a tie with four-time gold medalists Teresa Edwards (1984-2000, one bronze), Lisa Leslie (1996-2008), and Tamika Catchings (2004-16) and joined Edwards as the only five-time Olympic medalists in Olympic basketball history regardless of gender.

Delayed a year by the COVID-19 pandemic, Bird has said Tokyo was her last Olympics, while Taurasi has not made it official but has dealt with injuries in recent years, including her hip in the Olympics.

Bird scored 7 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and dished 3 assists in 23 minutes of action. Taurasi also had 7 points, added 6 rebounds, and had 8 assists over 28 minutes.

“No, not in my wildest dreams,” Bird said of if she ever thought of winning five gold medals. “That's what makes it even more special. I never thought it was a possibility.”

Added Taurasi: “We were just asked, ‘What did you think in 2004 when you won your first one?’ I thought that was our last one. Fast-forward 17 years and to be able to do this five times, I think it’s a testament to USA Basketball culture, the great players we played with, coaches, and staff. There’s a lot of people to thank today.”

However, it was Brittney Griner that led Team USA to the top of the podium. She scored 30 points (14/18 2PT, 2/2 FT), snagged 5 boards, and ended with 36 PIR over 32 minutes.

“It means a lot to me,” Griner said of her second Olympic gold medal. “A lot of people have put in a lot of hard work and dedication to get here, to get us to seven. And just to be a part of that, I'm honored.”

The U.S. matched the record of seven straight golds in any Olympic team sport set by U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Teams, a streak that started with the debut of the sport in 1936 through 1968.

It also was the swan song for Carol Callan, director of the USA Basketball Women’s National Team program since its inception in 1995. She is stepping down to focus on her role as president of FIBA Americas.

On the opposing side, Nako Motohashi was the leading scorer for Japan. She put up 16 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and dished 6 assists, but that was not enough to dethrone Team USA.

The USA: Brittney Griner 30 (5 rebounds), A'Ja Wilson 19 (7 rebounds, 5 assists), Breana Stewart 14 (14 rebounds, 5 assists), Sue Bird 7, Diana Taurasi 7.

Japan: Maki Takada 17, Nako Motohasi 16 (5 rebounds), Rui Machida 8 (6 assists).

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