Kelsey Plum is officially a two-time gold medalist.
After leading the 3×3 basketball squad to the gold in Tokyo, Plum was elevated to the 5×5 squad for the Paris Olympics, alongside three of her Las Vegas Aces teammates.
Their quest for a record No. 8 straight gold medal culminated in a matchup with host country France on Sunday, just as the men’s squad did on Saturday.
Team USA ultimately prevailed 67-66 in a game much closer than anyone thought. The Americans trailed by as much as ten in the third quarter as France started the second half with a 10-0 run that was only ceased by a Plum three pointer that got the US back on track.
Plum came through again late in the game, hitting two crucial free throws with 12 seconds remaining to put the US up by four. Kahleah Copper sunk her free throws with five seconds left as well. A last second shot for France’s Gabby Williams banked through, but her foot was on the three-point line, leaving the hosts just short of an equalizer.
Washington’s all-time leader in points, Plum finished the gold medal game with 12 points and 4 assists off the bench. The US was led by A’ja Wilson, who had 21 points and 13 rebounds in another dominant performance. Copper also had 12 points off the bench.
Williams, a former member of the Seattle Storm, led France with 19 points and 7 rebounds. No other French player was in double figures, as the hosts shot just 31.5% from the field.
It was the second medal of the day for the Huskies, who also saw Sami Whitcomb win bronze with Australia earlier in the morning.