USA BASKETBALL HISTORY
USA WOMEN’S OLYMPIC TEAM 2008 RESULTS
BEIJING, CHINA • AUGUST 8-24, 2008
The U.S. won by an average of 37.6 points en route to an unblemished 8-0 slate and a fourth consecutive gold medal. Lisa Leslie, the first to win her four golds in succession, joined five-time Olympian Teresa Edwards, the most decorated person to ever step onto the Olympic hardwood, as the only athlete, male or female, to capture four Olympic basketball gold medals. In capturing the 2008 gold medal, the USA became the first women’s traditional team sport to claim four straight gold medals. Further, the win extended the USA’s Olympic winning streak to 33 games, dating back to 1992 bronze medal victory over Cuba. Opening with a 97-57 victory over the Czech Republic, the United States, which in its first six games owned the lead by the end of the first quarter and never trailed in the final three stanzas, was led by 17 points from Diana Taurasi as all 12 U.S. players scored in the game. Facing China, the host country proved no match as the Americans zoomed to a 108-63 victory. In addition to Tina Thompson, whose 27 points tied Cynthia Cooper and Katrina McClain for the fourth-best single-game scoring output in the women’s U.S. Olympic record book, the USA was helped by 18 points and eight rebounds from Sylvia Fowles. The U.S. needed just 10 minutes to build a double-digit lead and went on to secure a 97-41 win against Mali. Leslie, who scored a game-high 16 points, set a U.S. Olympic single-game record on 7-of-7 shooting from the field. While the USA never trailed in the final three periods, Spain kept things close through the opening of the second half. However, the Ameri- cans were simply strong, collecting a 93-55 victory as Thompson led five U.S. players in double figures with 17 points. Closing out preliminary round play against New Zealand, the USA women won 96-60 behind a team-best 15 points from Thompson. Advancing to the quarterfinals, the U.S. took a lead in the first quarter and never relinquished it. Led by 26 points and 14 rebounds from Fowles, the U.S. used a 26-9 second quarter to wear down South Korea and give a 104-60 performance. Meeting up with the team that knocked the U.S. out of the gold medal game at the 2006 FIBA World Championship, the United States had to rally back from a 38-33 third quarter deficit, but eventually handed Russia a 67-52 loss and earned a spot in the gold medal game. Advancing to the gold medal match-up, the 2008 U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team held a 47-30 lead at halftime. Never letting the score fall below double digits in the second half en route to a crushing 92-65 blowout of previously unbeaten Australia.
2008 USA WOMEN’S OLYMPIC TEAM ROSTER
2008 USA RESULTS (8-0)
NAME
POS HGT WGT AGE WNBA TEAM
COLLEGE
HOMETOWN
Czech Republic
W, 97-57 W, 108-63 W, 97-41 W, 93-55 W, 96-60 W, 104-60 W, 67-52 W, 92-65
China
Seimone Augustus
F
6-1 5-9 6-1 6-5 5-9 6-5 6-1
179 150 167 200 165 170 185 172 160 174 172 178
24 27 29 22 27 36 33 22 25 34 26 33
Minnesota Lynx Seattle Storm Indiana Fever
Louisiana State Connecticut Louisiana State Tennessee Southern Cal Tennessee
Baton Rouge, LA
Sue Bird
G F C G C
Syosset, NY
Mali
Tamika Catchings
Duncanville, TX
Spain
Sylvia Fowles Kara Lawson
Chicago Sky
Miami, FL
New Zealand
Sacramento Monarchs Los Angeles Sparks Los Angeles Sparks Los Angeles Sparks
Alexandria, VA Hawthorne, CA Riceboro, GA Naperville, IL
MEDAL ROUND
Lisa Leslie
DeLisha Milton-Jones Candace Parker Cappie Pondexter
F
Florida
South Korea
F/C/G 6-4
Tennessee
Russia
G G
5-9 5-11 6-0 6-2
Phoenix Mercury Detroit Shock Phoenix Mercury Houston Comets
Rutgers
Chicago, IL Logan, OH Chino, CA
Australia
Katie Smith Diana Taurasi Tina Thompson
Ohio State Connecticut Southern Cal
G/F
F
Los Angeles, CA
FINAL STANDINGS
Head Coach: Anne Donovan, USA Basketball Assistant Coach: Gail Goestenkors, University of Texas Assistant Coach: Dawn Staley, University of South Carolina Assistant Coach: Mike Thibault, Connecticut Sun Team Physician: Sheldon Burns, Minnesota Lynx Athletic Trainer: Ed Ryan, Colorado Springs, Colorado
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
United States (8-0)
Australia (7-1) Russia (6-2) China (5-3) Spain (3-3) Belarus (2-4)
2008 USA WOMEN’S OLYMPIC TEAM CUMULATIVE STATISTICS
Czech Rep. (2-4)
S. Korea (2-4)
NAME
G/S
FGM-A
PCT
3PM-A
PCT
FTM-A
PCT
REB
PTS
AST
BLK
STL
9. Latvia (1-4) 10. New Zealand (1-4)
Fowles
8/0 8/8 8/8 8/8 8/0 8/0 8/0 8/0 8/0 8/8 8/8 7/0
45- 70 38- 77 30- 61 38- 66 27- 44 27- 58 21- 32 21- 29 22- 38 16- 38 10- 31
.643 .494 .492 .576 .614 .466 .656 .724 .579 .421 .323 .556 .542 .339
0- 0 9- 22 12- 28 0- 0 0- 1 0- 1 5- 7 4- 9 8- 14 4- 18 2- 10 0- 0 44-110 40-142
.000 .409 .429 .000 .000 .000 .571 .714 .444 .222 .200 .000 .400 .282
17- 25 17- 23 15- 15 5- 12 21- 31 9- 11
.680 .739 .417 .677 .818 .583 .750 .500 .714 .719 .650
67/8.4 31/3.9 56/7.0 36/4.5 18/2.3
107/13.4 102/12.8 87/10.9 81/10.1
7
7 1 2 4 1 1 4 0 0 0 0
3 5 7 9 7 4 8
11. Brazil (1-4) 12. Mali (0-5)
Thompson
12 19
Taurasi Leslie Parker
1.000 31/3.9
4 6
11
75/9.4 63/7.9 56/7.0 54/6.8 51/6.4 39/4.9 24/3.0 15/2.1
Augustus Lawson Catchings Pondexter
11 24 14 17 15 14
6- 6 7- 12 3- 4 3- 3 2- 4 5- 7
1.000 16/2.0
35/4.4
14
7/0.9
5 5
Smith
1.000 20/2.5
Bird
18/2.3 9/1.3
14
Milton-Jones
5- 9
3
1
USA OPP
8 8
300-553 162-478
110-153 89-137
344/43.0 243/30.4
754/94.2 453/56.6
146
31 10
82 44
81
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