The U.S. women’s basketball team narrowly secured a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, defeating France 67-66 in a thrilling final.
Team USA was led by A’ja Wilson, who scored 21 points, with additional contributions of 12 points each from Kelsey Plum and Kahleah Copper.
However, WNBA’s all-time leading scorer, Diana Taurasi, was noticeably absent from the scoring column. Despite not playing a single minute in the gold medal game, Taurasi made headlines by lightheartedly trash-talking fellow basketball legend Sue Bird after setting a new record with her sixth gold medal.
“Yeah, it’s the only reason I came,” Taurasi quipped, referencing her historic achievement, which now surpasses Bird’s career total of five gold medals. With this win, Taurasi now holds the record for the most Olympic gold medals by any basketball player, male or female.
At 42, Taurasi’s schedule remains intense, as she’s set to face off against Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever and Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky in upcoming WNBA games, requiring every ounce of energy she can muster.