The Paris Olympics bid the perfect farewell. On Sunday, Americans remained on the edge of their seats, mainly because the women’s basketball team was vying for its eighth consecutive Olympic medal, and the result would also break a tie in the Olympic medal tally with China. A game that went down to the wire, eventually saw Team USA make the country proud once again. Unlike the rest of their Olympics run, however, A’ja Wilson & Co. had to scratch and claw their way to the victory. And the Olympics MVP is aware of that.

When she was interviewed by ESPN post-game, Wilson revealed, “It wasn’t the prettiest of games, but it was the kind you sometimes have to grind out, and I think we did a decent job of doing that.” And she’s right. Team USA had not faced this kind of competition in recent Olympic years. They cruised smoothly to the Gold medal game this summer, winning every game by double-digit margins.

Against France, however, Team USA faced aggression, overcame physical defense, and experienced everything within the rules. How can we forget the contagious energy of the fans in the Bercy Arena in Paris? “It was an electric atmosphere. I feel like everyone sitting here felt it. It was a great one to play in,” Wilson said of the crowd.

Team USA was pushed out of its comfort zone, leading to a tournament-high 19 turnovers. Despite all these factors, A’ja Wilson & Co. managed to scrape a win over the hosts to seal their eighth consecutive Olympic Gold.

Team USA was destined to win

It came down to something France missed and Team USA capitalized on. All the energy France poured into their defense led them to struggle on the other side of the floor. The French team had only 32% accuracy from the field while converting just 7 of 36 three-pointers. The team’s star forward, Gabby Williams, who has previously played in the WNBA, contributed 19 points to France—but not the 20 they needed the most.

Williams attempted a three-pointer, vying for overtime in the last few seconds when the scoreboard read 67-64. However, the 27-year-old’s foot was just on the three-point line, leaving France in utmost disappointment. “I was behind [Williams], so I saw it was a 2-pointer… No stress for me. I don’t know about the people on the bench, though,” said Kahleah Copper.

It left an odd, anticlimactic vibe inside Bercy Arena. France had achieved a remarkable feat by pushing the U.S. to the limit in a once-in-a-lifetime moment but came up empty, while Team USA felt more relief than accomplishment. However, the credit for the win isn’t just limited to France. Team USA played better.

Just a few minutes after the start of the third quarter, Team USA was behind France by 10 points. But the team clawed back in the fourth quarter, ultimately securing a 67-66 win. A’ja Wilson certainly led the effort, contributing a staggering 21 points while grabbing 13 rebounds in the game. After a poor first half, Wilson turned things around in the second, making 9 of her 12 free throws.

That’s why she was named the tournament MVP, boasting an average of 18.9 points over six games. Overall, the ladies returned with another gold around their necks and a broad, proud smile, as Team USA also topped the medal tally.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host, BG12, sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.