LONDON (Olympics) - There were plenty of enduring images from the women's Olympic basketball tournament in London, but perhaps none were more significant than the emotion-packed medal ceremony and post-game press conference for the United States.
Diana Taurasi, the player who is normally the life of the party after ripping opponents to shreds with her three-point shooting, her dazzling drives to the bucket and her hounding defense, was cried in both.
It was unusual to see a pensive, reflective Taurasi walk slowly onto the court with her American teammates to receive a third gold in as many Olympics.
One who is still in her prime, everything seemed to dawn on Taurasi that eventually, all of this will end.
"You know, I usually don’t get very emotional when you win something, but for some reason when we walked into the arena afterwards, it kind of hit me that this might be my last, it might not be, but after three golds, they’re really hard," Taurasi said.
For a long time in the Semi-Final, it seemed USA Basketball might fall short of their fifth consecutive gold in the women’s tournament.
The Australians were brilliant, riding the back of Elizabeth Cambage, who had 19 points in the first half.
In the third quarter, the Americans were still losing when Taurasi charged into Belinda Snell for her fourth foul and had to leave the game.
Thankfully for the United States, they have Lindsay Whalen.
She entered the game and scored six straight points, including four on jump shots, to put the USA in front to stay.
If it might be the last hurrah on the Olympic stage for Taurasi, it almost certainly is for her college coach, University of Connecticut boss Geno Auriemma, since the USA women have had coaches work in four-year cycles.
In his time at the helm of the national team, Auriemma guided the team to a world title and Olympic gold.
Auriemma had a lot of fun coaching the USA women, and he even enjoyed his post-game press conferences.
His comments were more times than not laced with humor, as was the case after Team USA’s 114-66 preliminary victory over China when reporters were told just before his opening remarks that the American women had equaled their Olympic record for points scored in a game and had also set new marks with assists (33) and baskets (52).
"And this is my 100th Coca-Cola," Auriemma said, drawing laughs.
People will remember Auriemma and Taurasi showing up for their title-game press conference, after the win over France, because they had already shed plenty of tears.
“I wouldn’t want to be up here with anyone else,” Taurasi said.
“Coach (Auriemma) knows me more than any person on this earth, including my family, so it means a lot.”
