Paris Olympics Aug. 11 recap, highlights: Team USA finishes the Games strong

A’ja Wilson – Credit: Getty Images

Each and every day of the 2024 Paris Olympics, NBCOlympics.com will keep you updated with the biggest stories from across the Olympic landscape. All competition streams live on NBCOlympics.com and Peacock — visit the schedule page for more details.

Here’s what you should know from Day 16 — the final day of competition at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games:

The U.S. women’s basketball team topped hometown France in a thrilling matchup to win gold.
Sifan Hassan completed a “crazy” goal and won gold in the women’s marathon.
Jennifer Valente became the most decorated medalist in U.S. women’s cycling history.
20-year-old Kennedy Blades becomes the second-youngest American woman to win an Olympic wrestling medal.
The U.S. women’s volleyball team earned silver and the men’s water polo team earned bronze.
Finally, the U.S. won the Games with the most total medals of any country in Paris.
Read on for one final recap…

Basketball: U.S. women top France in thriller to stay perfect

The U.S. women’s basketball team topped France, 67-66, in a thrilling victory that came down to the final seconds to win an eighth straight gold medal.

At the very end of the game, it looked like France’s Gabby Williams may have tied the score with a buzzer-beating 3-point shot but replays showed her foot on the line, allowing the U.S. to narrowly secure a historic win.

UNBELIEVABLE ENDING IN PARIS. ð±

Gabby Williams banked it in at the buzzer but her FOOT WAS ON THE THREE-POINT LINE. TEAM USA WINS BY A SINGLE POINT.#ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/DJI7YxfVMl

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 11, 2024

A’ja Wilson tallied a team-leading 21 points and 13 rebounds for the U.S and Kahleah Copper delivered a clutch fourth quarter. She finished the game with 12 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.

The U.S. women will leave Paris with a 61-game Olympic win streak in women’s basketball. The last time the U.S. women lost in the Olympics was to the United Team in the semifinal of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Diana Taurasi, who did not play in the gold medal game, is now the most decorated Olympic basketball player with six gold medals. At 42 years old, she is the oldest Olympic gold medalist in men’s and women’s basketball.

Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young became the first athletes to win an Olympic gold medal in both 3×3 basketball and 5v5 basketball.

FULL BOX SCORE