BEIJING - The U.S. women's basketball team was just off the medals stand, celebrating a 92-65 gold-medal drubbing of rival Australia. Assistant coach Dawn Staley said the world may have just seen the most talented women's hoops team ever assembled.
"The most talented team - with the least amount of preparation," Staley said after the United States won for the fourth straight Olympics. "Other [U.S.] teams may have had more chemistry, more time to prepare, more time to be with one another. But as far as putting together 12 players, getting together for a week and preparing for the Olympics - I think it's pretty special."
Staley had been the point guard for the last three gold-winning U.S. teams, so the former Temple coach's opinion counts. The U.S. men have earned a lot of attention at this Olympics for the stars on their bench. The women have the same thing going, with some of the sport's more dominant players coming off their bench.
Yesterday, after Australia took an early lead, a 24-4 first-half run put the United States in control. During the run, six U.S. players scored, none of them starters. Point guard Kara Lawson got things going as soon as she entered the game, driving and scoring, then hitting pull-up jumpers. Candace Parker and Sylvia Fowles, the next generation of U.S. stars, weren't to be stopped along the baseline.
Lisa Leslie was the feel-good heroine of this game, wearing three gold medals right after the game, before a fourth was draped around her neck. Leslie, now a 36-year-old mother, is the first player in an American team sport to win four straight gold medals. She joins Teresa Edwards, a former teammate, in winning four gold medals (1984-96).
"It would be shameful to take all the credit for myself," Leslie said, still misty-eyed at a postgame news conference after making 7 of 9 shots for 14 points and leading the United States with seven rebounds. "I had so many great teammates."
The average age of the U.S. starting five was 31.2 years. The six players who scored during that game-deciding run had an average age of 24.8. There was no generation gap here, the coaches said.
"I hesitate to use the word survive - but to thrive through the transition period of our younger players and still be our leader going into the gold-medal game and perform as well as she did - I think that really speaks volumes for Lisa and her place and her legacy here," said U.S. coach Anne Donovan.
Donovan called the team the most selfless she's ever been around.
"There was never a question that the open player was going to get the ball and take a shot," Donovan said.
"There was never a question they were committed to defending - which was a problem for us at the world championships."
The United States lost to Russia at the 2006 world championships. Russia was the only team to throw up any kind of scare here, leading by seven points late in the first half of the semifinals, before the United States pulled away to a 67-52 victory. The average U.S. margin for the tournament was almost 39 points. At least Australia got inside of that.
"They put us under the heat and we weren't able to handle it," said Australian guard Kristi Harrower after her team, a silver medalist for the third straight Olympics, shot just 25 percent. Lauren Jackson, considered the top non-American player in the world, had 20 points but shot just 5 of 14.
Another indication of the U.S. depth: Former Rutgers star Cappie Pondexter came in with a second wave of reserves and immediately scored on two straight possessions. Parker and Fowles were part of the first wave - Donovan called them "two young guns who are like sponges."
"They are more than ready to take the torch,'' Donovan said.
Staley said it was a far different feeling to watch the medals ceremony from the sideline.
"It's anticlimatic for me - you don't have to suit up, you don't have to prepare," Staley said. "I was out at the Silk Market three, four hours before the game."
But the best women's player Philadelphia ever produced, who just left North Broad Street for the University of South Carolina, could end up with a bigger Olympic job sometime down the line.
"Any coach should want to coach an Olympic team - assistant or head coach," said Staley, who carried the American flag at the opening ceremonies in Athens. "I'd like to be at the top of my profession."
But Staley made it clear, yesterday wasn't about her. She talked about how players' professional schedules affected this Olympics - or could have.
"Two weeks ago, we were just getting together," Staley said. "We probably had three or four days of practices with this particular group of women. . . . I guess that speaks to maybe the best talent assembled."
