Seoul, South Korea • September 17-30, 1988

Just as the USA women's basketball team t-shirts proclaimed, the 1988 USA Olympic squad had one goal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics: 'Sole Goal - Seoul Gold.'

It took the USA team five successful trips to the floor of Chamsil Gymnasium to win the coveted gold medal in Seoul and those five contests were not all easy. The U.S. opened its Olympic competition with a hard fought 87-81 victory over a determined team from Czechoslovakia. Trailing 39-37 at half, the U.S. women rallied in the second half to claim the victory. 5'11' Teresa Edwards, the team co-captain and a player considered by many to be the world's best, led the USA with 24 points, while 6'2' veteran Katrina McClain chipped in 19 points and eight rebounds.

Three days later, the Americans went over the century mark for the first time in USA women's Olympic basketball history, recording a convincing 101-74 victory over Yugoslavia as 10 U.S. players scored. But again the win was not as easy as the score would indicate, in fact, the U.S. trailed 16-8 at one point and only led at half 40-34. Edwards headed the U.S. charge with 23 points, Bridgette Gordon tossed in an additional 20 points, and Cynthia Cooper added 17 points, hitting all three of her three-point field goal attempts in the win. Behind a monster 27-point and 13-rebound performance by McClain, the USA claimed a 94-79 win over China to advance on to the semifinal round.

Meeting the Soviet Union, a team the USA women had never defeated in Olympic competition, the USA's pressure defense and fast breaking offense powered the American women to a surprisingly easy 102-88 victory. Out rebounding the Soviets 43-26, the U.S. was led by Cooper's 27 points, while McClain added 26 points and 15 rebounds, and Edwards accounted for 12 points and six assists in the win.

Advancing to the gold medal finals, the USA faced a rematch against Yugoslavia. With some crucial defensive plays and two short jumpers by 6'8' Anne Donovan, the USA managed a 40-34 lead at intermission. Edwards took over in the second half, scoring 14 of her team-leading 18 points in the last 20 minutes, including three straight fast break baskets to put the United States up by 12 points and from there the Americans cruised to a 77-70 gold medal victory. Cindy Brown added 12 points and Cooper was credited with 11 to further the Americans gold medal cause.

University of Georgia All-American McClain topped-out as the United States' high scorer with a 17.6 per-game average and also averaged a team-high 10.4 rebounds a game. Edwards finished second in scoring with a 16.6 average and led the team in assists and steals with 17 and 23, respectively. Cooper ended the Olympics averaging 14.2 ppg. and was the only other U.S. player to average in double figures.

1988 USA WOMEN’S OLYMPIC TEAM ROSTER

1988 USA WOMEN’S OLYMPIC TEAM CUMULATIVE STATISTICS