DREAM (GIRLS) FULFILLED : LESLIE, EDWARDS LEAD U.S. WOMEN OVER BRAZILIANS.Byline: Jon Wilner Daily News Staff Writer Lisa Leslie They gained momentum as she received her gold medal gold medal traditional first prize. [Western Cult: Misc.] See : Prize and bouquet of flowers, then overwhelmed her during the national anthem. ``It was very emotional for me,'' said the former USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. All-American. ``I'm a sensitive person and I was thinking about how we accomplished all we set out to do. In order to win, we had to stick together, and we won with a great team effort. That's what I was thinking about.'' But the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. women's basketball Women's basketball is one of the few games which developed in tandem with men's. It became popular, spreading from the east coast of the United States to the west coast, in large part via women's colleges. team - the self-proclaimed Dream Girls - begins and ends with Leslie and point guard Teresa Edwards Teresa Edwards (born July 19, 1964 in Cairo, Georgia) is a retired American basketball player. She is currently an assistant coach for the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx. College years Edwards began her career at the University of Georgia where she was a two time All-American. . And in the gold-medal game against Brazil Sunday night Sunday Night, later named Michelob Presents Night Music, was an NBC late-night television show which aired for two seasons between 1988 and 1990 as a showcase for jazz and eclectic musical artists. , they again performed on a higher level than their talented teammates and the best the world has to offer. Before 32,997 at the Georgia Dome Atlanta Falcons • • [ , Leslie scored 29 points (on 12-of-14 shooting) and Edwards supplied 10 assists in a near-flawless floor game, as the U.S. rolled to a 111-87 victory and reclaimed the international supremacy it once considered a birthright. The victory represented the culmination of a two-year cycle beginning at the 1994 World Championships in Sydney, when Brazil defeated the U.S. 110-107 in what some consider the greatest women's game ever. It was the third in a series of international defeats for the U.S. - including the 1991 Pan-Am Games and Barcelona - and juxtaposed jux·ta·pose tr.v. jux·ta·posed, jux·ta·pos·ing, jux·ta·pos·es To place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast. with the Dream Team's dominance, USA Basketball realized it had to kick-start the women's program. ``What USA Basketball recognized was that it wasn't giving the women and the coaches the best opportunity to shine,'' U.S. coach Tara VanDerveer said. The response was a $3 million project designed to win the 1996 gold medal. It included an early selection process and a pre-Olympic tour against all comers - all, except Brazil. For whatever reasons, the teams never agreed on a rematch. The taste of the Sydney defeat, and of the Brazilian backcourt of Hortencia Oliva and Maria Silva combining for 61 points, lingered bitterly in the American mouths as they went 52-0 on the tour. But Sunday evening the roles reversed. Silva scored a paltry seven points - ``How did I stop her? I was in her pants, that's how,'' American guard Ruthie Bolton said - and the renowned Hortencia (or Who-tencia) managed a very quiet 11, with four turnovers. One of the lasting images is of Bolton stripping the ball from Hortencia near midcourt, then, from her knees, hitting Sheryl Swoopes downcourt down·court adv. & adj. Sports To, into, or in the far end of the court, especially in basketball. for a layup. On Brazil's next possession, Swoopes symbolically stuffed a Hortencia jump shot. The only effective Brazilian was Marta Sobral, who scored seven points early against Leslie on an array of drives through the lane, as Brazil matched the U.S. basket for basket. Leslie didn't score her first points until midway through the first half. A minute later, working in the low post, she induced Marta's third foul. The tall, Dennis Rodman-blond walked to the bench, and with her the last hope of a Brazil upset. The Americans came in waves. When it wasn't Leslie or Edwards, it was Swoopes or Bolton, Katrina McClain or Nikki McCray, Dawn Staley or Venus Lacey. Four U.S. starters reached double figures, and the bench combined for 30. It was the most points ever scored in a gold-medal game. The U.S. broke it open with a 12-0 surge spanning the final 2:11 of the first half and the first 2:09 of the second. An inbounds in·bounds adj. 1. Basketball Involving putting the ball into play by passing it from out of bounds to a teammate on the court. 2. Sports Within the designated boundaries. alley-oop to McClain made it 63-46. Then came Bolton's stirring steal from Hortencia, and Swoopes' ensuing block. After the buzzer, the Dream Girls took a victory lap, dancing all the way. Their enjoyment seemed so much purer, more innocent, than that of the Dream Team. If their Olympic experience was a high school prom, the Dream Team's was math class. ``Talk about a no-win situation,'' VanDerveer said of the men. The Dream Girls began the Olympics on the cover of The New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times magazine and Sports Illustrated, and they ended by making more of an impression on the national conscience than any other sport during the fortnight. There is good reason to think the soon-arriving women's professional leagues have a fighting chance one dependent upon the issue of a struggle. See also: Fighting . ``I hope the country will continue to support women's basketball like it did during the Olympics,'' Leslie said of the 30,000-plus crowds. ``This team is a vehicle to help it get to the next level, where it belongs, not just in college but in the pros.'' CAPTION(S): 2 Photos PHOTO (1--color) Lisa Leslie of the United States reacts with joy during the first half of the gold-medal victory over Brazil. Leslie scored 29 points. Associated Press (2) Ex-USC star Lisa Leslie, center, cries before receiving her gold medal for the victory in women's basketball. The United States beat Brazil. Associated Press |
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