Brittney Griner at the Olympics podium in Paris on Aug. 11, 2024. (NBC News screen shot via YouTube)
The Americans eked out a nail-biter victory at the Summer Olympics in Paris on Sunday, overcoming host nation France, 67-66, in women’s basketball with more out LGBTQ competitors and coaches than any other team.
Gold medals go to these magnificent seven women’s basketball stars: Breanna Stewart, Brittney Griner, Diana Taurasi, Alyssa Thomas, Jewell Loyd, Chelsea Gray, and Kahleah Cooper. They were led by Cheryl Reeve, one of the most successful WNBA head coaches, who led the Minnesota Lynx to four league titles. Her assistant coach, Curt Miller, is a two-time WNBA coach of the year, the current head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks and the first and only out gay male coach in pro basketball.
Observers have dubbed them one of the “gayest teams” competing in Paris.
But Sunday’s gold medal match was not the runaway win Team USA has become famous for. Not every star saw the floor, except from the bench. And those watching courtside — including Sue Bird, Dawn Staley, Kevin Durant, and Vanessa Bryant and her children — witnessed what one observer called the worst half of basketball the U.S. women have played on a world stage.
The U.S. team appeared to be missing its offensive rhythm in competing against a very physical French defense. France briefly took the lead, 25-23 right before halftime, but Team USA fired back, right before the buzzer, tying it up, 25-25. at the half.
France jumped out to an 8-0 run to start the second half, and the two teams traded leads throughout, with the score tied 11 times throughout the game. Finally, it all came down to one shot: With seconds left on the clock, Team USA down three points, former Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams — playing for France — had a chance to send the game to overtime with a buzzer-beater that caused a bit of a scare for the Americans.
But the New York Liberty’s Stewart immediately pointed out that Williams’s foot was touching the three-point line, preserving a 67-66 win for Team USA and giving the team its eighth straight gold medal and 61st consecutive victory.
“The streak is crazy. I mean, they just told me when I was doing TV that it was, like, before I was born that it kind of started, which is wild,” Stewart said. “It just goes to show those that have really paved the way and to create USA Basketball and what it is now. Tons of appreciation for that and knowing that when you represent this jersey and wear USA across your chest the standard is high and there really is nothing higher.”
One factor that may explain Team USA’s struggles Sunday: The majority of 12,000 spectators in Bercy Arena loudly rooted for their home team, France. In that hostile environment, the U.S. shot a whopping 34 free throws off 25 French fouls, but only made 27 of them.
The Phoenix Mercury was well represented in Team USA. Copper had 12 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter. Griner had four points and two rebounds in five first-half minutes but didn’t play in the second. Taurasi didn’t see the floor for the first time all tournament but won her sixth Olympic gold medal, the most all-time for a U.S. basketball player, men’s or women’s.
The Seattle Storm’s Loyd was the only player other than Taurasi to sit out this final game. But in the end, they won gold as a team.
On the podium, Griner was emotional as the national anthem played, wiping away a tear. Throughout these games, Griner has spoken about how playing for the U.S. means more to her this time around. Two years ago, she was imprisoned in Russia. Today, she is an Olympic gold medalist.
Other memorable LGBTQ+ Olympians
At last count, 195 openly LGBTQ athletes competed in the Paris Olympics, according to Outsports.
On Saturday, Team USA defeated Brazil in the gold medal match of the women’s soccer tournament, a 1-0 victory that gives the Americans their fifth Olympic gold medal. Tierna Davidson and Jane Campbell are the only out LGBTQ athletes on the American women’s soccer team, which has not won an Olympic gold medal since 2012 in London. The U.S. was knocked out in the quarterfinals at the 2016 games in Rio and had to settle for bronze three years ago in Tokyo.
Sha’Carri Richardson officially became an Olympic champion Friday, as the anchor leg for the Team USA women’s 4x100m relay squad in track and field. The baton pass from 200m gold medalist Gabby Thomas to Richardson wasn’t smooth, but the Texan then exploded down the stretch to cross the finish line and win gold.
Women’s boxing has made headlines around the world at this Olympics.
On Saturday, an emotional Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan became the second boxer in 24 hours to win a gold medal despite questions about her gender eligibility. Lin defeated 20-year-old Julia Szeremeta of Poland by unanimous decision to claim the featherweight title, a day after Imane Khelif of Algeria became the welterweight champion. Lin and Khelif competed in Paris despite being disqualified from last year’s World Championships because they reportedly failed gender eligibility tests. Both boxers have been taunted with accusations that they were men, or transgender.
Both women are women.
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach defended both Khelif and Lin’s right to compete, and noted the IOC severed ties with the IBA last year over governance and transparency issues.
“If somebody is presenting us a scientifically solid system how to identify men and women, we are the first ones to do it. We do not like this uncertainty,” Bach told the Associated Press on Friday. “What is not possible is someone saying ‘this is not a woman’ just by looking at somebody or by falling prey to a defamation campaign by a not credible organization with highly political interests.”
“But this has no impact on our very clear position: Women have the right to participate in women’s competitions. And the two are women.”
Southern California native Nikki Hiltz finished 7th in Saturday’s 1500-meter final at the Stade de France in 3 minutes, 56.38 seconds. Hiltz is the two-time U.S. outdoor and indoor national champion at 1500 meters and the first trans nonbinary athlete to reach an Olympic individual event final.
While some may call coming in seventh place “disappointing,” that’s not how Hiltz or their partner Emma Gee see it. Gee posted a photo of a beaming Hiltz to Instagram after the final.
Three years ago, Hiltz failed to make the U.S. team for Tokyo. They were eliminated in the semifinals at last year’s World Championships. But on Saturday, they were right in the thick of a record-breaking race in one of the most competitive events in sports.
Congratulations to Hiltz and all the competitors! Win or lose, each and every one comes home an Olympian.
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