An interesting 56th win went down in the ledger for Team USA in Olympic history yesterday. This team has produced great results for almost five decades now. In 48 years, there have only been two times when the USA did not win the Gold. It has brought a combined 11 medals, a huge group of stellar athletes, and a history that keeps continuing to grow. As we enter Team USA’s 12th appearance in the quadrennial event, let us learn more about the medals and the brilliant athletes.

Since the first event in 1976, the USA has brought a medal without fail. For the very first Gold, though, the ‘Woman of Troy’ Cheryl Miller led the 1984 Team USA in the Los Angeles Summer Olympics. To date, she has the highest scoring average of all time at 16.5 points per game. Katrina McClain with 17.6 points and 10 rebounds per game and Teresa Edwards with 16.6 PPG led the team to its second consecutive gold in 1984. But that was not the only thing that changed Team USA’s fate in the Olympics forever. After the 1992 Summer Games, the USA would win 7 consecutive gold medals, etching its name as a powerhouse in women’s basketball. Here is how it all started.

The rising dynasty of Team USA in the Olympics

America’s third gold came in the 1996 Atlanta games. The Lisa Leslie-led team completely thrashed their opponents and had an 8-0 record. Dawn Staley, Sheryl Swoopes, and Rebecca Lobo, all played in this star-studded team. This team was the first step in proving to the world how dominant Team USA can truly be. They won all their 8 games with a margin of 26.3 points on average. These stellar Americans brought back the Gold and the succeeding players have never allowed it to slip away since then.

Next time out, the same popular yet dominant team returned to the 2000 Sydney Olympics with a few new faces. Lisa Leslie still topped this team in scoring with 15.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. But the reigning MVP of the WNBA, Yolanda Griffith, was simply unbreachable on the board. She grabbed a team-high 8.8 rebounds per game. While the team defended the gold, one gem from their crown did not continue after this exemplary run, and that was Teresa Edwards. After five Olympic medals (1 bronze, 4 gold) Edwards would say goodbye to her national career. Her all-time career stands with 142 assists and 59 steals. She was also third in scoring with 265 points.

In the 2004 Athens Olympics, Diana Taurasi would become a part of Team USA, which she would lead for the next 20 years. Only this year, the WNBA legend announced her retirement from the national team. Along with her, Sue Bird, Tamika Catchings, and Swin Cash also joined the roster. These players changed how the team would look in the future and pushed women’s sports to a greater height. Still, the seasoned players topped the charts. Leslie returned to contribute 15.6 points and 8 rebounds.

Swoopes, Staley, and Griffith retired from the national team. The changing winds also turned the fortunes for Leslie. Since 1996, she led the team in scoring. However, this time, the newcomer Sylvia Fowles led in scoring with 13.4 points and 8 rebounds per game. Leslie joined Edwards as a 4x Olympic gold medalist. More young players also entered this team, like Candace Parker and Seimone Augustus. As a whole, this team has the best average win margin (37.6 PPG). While three Hall of Famers passed the baton to the newcomers, the tradition of winning in the Olympics did not leave.

Continuing the treasure hunt in the Olympics

Geno Auriemma picked up the responsibility of leading Team USA for the next two Olympics. In 2012, Taurasi, Bird, and Catchings won their third consecutive gold. The Phoenix Mercury star led the team in scoring with 12.4 PPG. Interestingly, 6 of the 12 players were from UConn in this roster and were well-versed with Auriemma’s teachings.

In the 2016 Rio Games, the roster with Breanna Stewart, Elena Delle Donne, and Brittney Griner returned for its sixth straight gold medal. Like in 2008, the group again had a great win margin of 37.2 points per game. Taurasi again led the team in scoring with 15.6 points on average. The team also set an Olympic record with 33 three-pointers made by a team in a single tournament.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics hit differently for everyone due to COVID-19. The postponed games saw Dawn Staley as the team’s boss. The winning coach, of course, helped the USA grab its seventh consecutive gold at the Olympics. She introduced multiple new players to the roster. These were Skylar Diggins-Smith, Ariel Atkins, A’ja Wilson, Jewell Loyd, and Napheesa Collier. Wilson, under Staley, quickly rose in the team and tied with Brittney Griner for 16.5 points per game.

While the run is quite exemplary for Team USA, there are two times that continue to be the sour points in the glorious Olympic history of the team.

The two Olympic setbacks for the women’s national basketball team

Going back to the very first 1976 Montreal Summer Games, Team USA brought back their only Silver to date. The team was led by Lucy Harris. Interestingly, Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman also only played in the 1976 Summer Games. Two of the three times that Team USA lost in the Olympics were in 1976 at the hands of Japan and the Soviet Union.

Another time that Team USA was not at the top was in 1992, 16 years after their first appearance in the event. Still, the team led by Medina Dixon brought home a bronze. Teresa Weatherspoon and Katrina McClain joined the team, along with Cynthia Cooper. Another loss that came to the USA in Olympic history was in 1992 to the Unified team from Russia.

The women’s basketball team from the USA is quite a force to reckon with. Now, they are on a 56-game win streak. The mere fact proves the power and skills that this team holds despite the changing faces. Even this year, the size, length, and depth of Team USA at the Paris Olympics is quite great with four bigs over the height of 6-ft-4 and most guards with 6-ft length, adding to the full-court domination.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.