Lynx Players Push US Women’s Basketball to Olympic Gold

Photo Credit: Brian Peterson - Star Tribune

The US Women’s Olympic Basketball team defeated Spain 101-72 on Saturday. The Americans got their sixth straight gold medal in the event, with help from four Minnesota Lynx players.

Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen scored 17 points while her teammate Maya Moore scored 14 points.  Sylvia Fowles was a strong defensive force, with 6 rebounds and Seimone Augustus scored 6 points and 3 rebounds.

Whalen, who spent the first quarter on the bench, came into the game as backup to Sue Bird. Bird played, despite a sore knee that caused her to miss the semifinal game.

Whalen told the Minneapolis Star Tribune, “I knew if I could come in and get into the lane, things would open up and collapse their defense.  I think Maya felt the same way.”

Whalen and Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury finished the game with a team high of 17 points each.  Whalen and Moore finished with a team-high six assists each.

Moore told the Star Tribune, “It’s a little different when you’re on this team.  It’s almost weird because you have pressure, you have this job and you want to do it well, but you also have confidence because you’re surrounded by such greatness.  It’s this weird balance of preparing yourself but realizing, “this is fun.’ You can’t go wrong if you just play.”

The U.S. Women’s Basketball team are one of the most dominant teams in the modern history of sports, having won 49 consecutive games and six Olympic Gold Medals in a row.

 

Donna Azarian