Team USA Women's Basketball Team Advances to Final Eyeing Seventh Straight Gold Medal

For the seventh straight Olympic Games, the U.S. women's basketball team will compete for a gold medal following Friday's 79-59 blowout of Serbia in the semifinals. While the result was more of the same, the method of victory represented a positive change from earlier in this tournament.

During group play of the tournament, the Americans allowed an average of 74.3 points per game in three wins over Nigeria, Japan and France. They've tightened up on the defensive end during the knockout stage, holding their two opponents to under 60 points in each game.

Facing Serbia on Friday, the U.S. set the tone early, holding the Serbians to just 12 points in the first quarter and 11 in the second to race out to a 41–23 halftime lead. Serbia drew within 14 points late in the third quarter, but the U.S. responded with a 13–0 run to put the game well out of reach.

Brittney Griner led the Americanas with 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Breanna Stewart also had a double-double, notching 12 points and 10 boards. Sue Bird scored eight points with four assists, three steals and no turnovers, and Chelsea Gray had 14 points off the bench on 5-for-6 shooting from the field.

The U.S. has won eight of the last nine gold medals in women's basketball, including the last six.

Sign up for our free daily Olympics newsletter: Very Olympic Today. You'll catch up on the top stories, smaller events, things you may have missed while you were sleeping and links to the best writing from SI’s reporters on the ground in Tokyo.