FIBA: Greatest ladies’s basketball takeaways from Paris Olympics

The 2024 Olympic Video games are within the books.

After Staff USA cruised by their first 5 video games of the ladies’s 5×5 basketball competitors, the gold medal remaining in opposition to France proved to be the hardest of the Individuals’ 61-straight Olympic wins. Nonetheless, the US survived to say an eighth-straight gold medal, leaving France with silver. Australia earned the bronze over Belgium.

Listed below are Swish Attraction’s remaining takeaways from the Paris Video games:

Staff USA is human in spite of everything

Sure, Staff USA received the gold. The victory makes it 61 in a row in Olympic play and a document eight-straight golds. Nonetheless, the margin of victory was one level, leaving me cautious of the longer term. Like an individual barely making ends meet, we survived one other month. However what concerning the subsequent? France pushed Staff USA to the brink, and in 4 years, the place will the remainder of the world be? I shudder to consider the 61-game streak ending on our land after undertaking every little thing USA Basketball has over these previous couple of a long time.

Sunday evening, Monday morning and perhaps even just a few days after, these ladies ought to have fun as a lot as they’d like. Nonetheless, if you happen to wanted a wake-up name that the remainder of the world is coming, that is it. The lads have already skilled this, dropping video games right here and there and failing to win the gold in 2004. Let’s see how the ladies regulate so 2028 might be as profitable as 2024. — Edwin Garcia

Photograph by Tim Clayton/Corbis through Getty Photos

Leïla Lacan is WNBA-ready

France’s Leïla Lacan, the No. 10 total choose on this 12 months’s WNBA Draft, wasn’t introduced over by the Connecticut Solar this season. They view Lacan as a challenge, understandably so. She’s lower than two months faraway from her twentieth birthday and can be the youngest participant within the WNBA by practically two years. Stashing her in France, fairly than burying her beneath an skilled Connecticut bench, would stimulate Lacan’s growth whereas the Solar retained her rights.

A powerful Olympic displaying could speed up her timeline. Lacan wasn’t a cornerstone of the French staff, however they trusted her with significant minutes in significant video games. She led France in plus/minus throughout their first knockout recreation in opposition to Germany, and completed the event with a 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio. Lacan proved that she’s mature sufficient to impression profitable at a excessive degree, and will see productive minutes off the Connecticut bench subsequent season. Given her age, she has one of many highest ceilings amongst 2024 draftees. — Beckett Harrison

Photograph by Gregory Shamus/Getty Photos

Emma Meesseman remains to be among the finest gamers on the earth

Belgium is a rustic that has been on the rise in recent times, having certified in its first-ever Summer season Olympics in 2020 and ending in fourth place in 2024, and Meesseman has been the fulcrum of that success. It’s been over a decade now for the reason that expert ahead made her WNBA debut for the Washington Mystics, and although we haven’t seen her play in America since 2022 with the Chicago Sky, there’s no query that she’s nonetheless on the high of her recreation.

Meesseman completed the 2024 Olympics main all gamers in scoring at 23.3 factors per recreation whereas taking pictures the ball on the extremely environment friendly clip we’ve come to anticipate from her (58.4 p.c from the sphere). She was additionally considered one of three Belgian gamers (Julie Vanloo and Antonia Delaere the others) to common not less than 4 assists per recreation in an offense that delighted followers with its versatility and total selflessness—two traits that simply as simply outline Meesseman’s profession as an expert. Meesseman has already confirmed she will be able to win on the highest degree within the WNBA, KBSL (Turkey) and EuroLeague Girls, and her management of the up-and-coming Belgian nationwide staff could also be her best feat but. — Eric Nemchock

Photograph by Gregory Shamus/Getty Photos

A’ja Wilson is HER

Whereas having among the finest seasons in WNBA historical past, A’ja Wilson continues to be in full GOAT kind after main the US to gold. As if there have been any remaining questions on Wilson being one of the best within the W, the reply now stands along with her being one of the best on the globe. A’ja and the ladies from the US beat France in a 67-66 nail-biter as they claimed gold medals on France’s house turf, ending 6-0 in Olympic play. Staff USA has received eight-straight golds and Wilson is now as much as seven gold medals of her personal after yet one more dominant efficiency for USA Basketball in worldwide play.

Wilson completed high three in factors, rebounding, blocks and effectivity, additional cementing her dominance in what has to this point been a masterclass of a season. I actually couldn’t consider any argument in opposition to this legitimately being among the finest seasons for a participant within the historical past of the league. Let’s see if her momentum continues and she will be able to add a pleasant ring to it. — Myke Horrell

Photograph by Jesse D. GarrabrantNBAE through Getty Photos

FIBA expertise issues

There’s a justifiable want by ladies’s basketball followers and gamers in the US to see our nation’s greatest be capable of earn their price by taking part in domestically, fairly than having to go abroad for a deserved payday. The sustainability of Athletes Limitless and the forthcoming debut of Unmatched are indicators of the growing viability of this challenge. Nonetheless, to proceed to triumph on the worldwide stage, each on the Olympics and within the World Cup, Staff USA wants to make sure that gamers have intensive expertise taking part in by FIBA guidelines, which is greatest gained by suiting up for squads that take part in EuroLeague Girls or EuroCup Girls.

Whereas not a prerequisite for achievement (see: Wilson, A’ja), it definitely has its benefits (see: Meesseman, Emma). For Staff USA, Kahleah Copper, liable for clutch fourth-quarter heroics, has extra FIBA expertise than lots of her American teammates, having suited up for Çukurova Basketbol Mersin throughout the newest EuroLeague Girls season. Napheesa Collier, one other essential participant for Staff USA, additionally hung out taking part in alongside Meesseman for 2023-24 EuroLeague Girls champion Fenerbahçe Alagöz Holding. In Paris, Staff USA proved that they’re nonetheless one of the best. However to stay one of the best, our gals may have to proceed to play outdoors of the US. — Cat Ariail

Photograph by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE through Getty Photos