The U.S. women's basketball team doesn't get ballyhooed in the way the men's program's endless iterations of the Dream Team do. But Team USA is likely to get a gold medal on Saturday by dominating another foe — and running its streak to five straight.
The U.S. women take on undefeated France in the gold medal final of the 2012 Olympics women's basketball competition on Saturday at 4 p.m. Eastern, and they look poised to get another gold with another big win. The squad, essentially an all-star team of the best players UConn (Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Tina Charles, Ashja Jones) and Tennessee (Candace Parker, Tamika Catchings) have produced with LSU (Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles) thrown in, has won all seven of its games by double figures and never been more challenged than it was in an 86-73 win over Australia in the semifinal. All six other Team USA wins were by at least 25 points.
France's undefeated record looks a little less impressive. The French have downed Russia twice and Australia once, but that win over Australia required overtime, as did a win over a Great Britain team that has never won an Olympic game. Look for Edwige Lawson-Wade (18 points against Russia in a semifinal win) to bomb away, and for Celine Dumerc (23 points to dispatch the Czech Republic in a quarterfinal) to labor inside against the tough American front line.
The game will be available live on the NBC Sports Network, and live online via NBC Live Extra.
For more on the Olympics, check out SB Nation's London 2012 Olympics Hub. For more on Olympic basketball, follow the 2012 Olympic basketball section.
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