Atlanta, Georgia, USA • July 20 - August 3, 1996

After 10 months of preparation that included 52 games in seven countries and over 100,000 miles of travel, the 1996 U.S. squad dominated its competition to reclaim the Olympic gold medal at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

Rolling to an 8-0 Olympic mark, the USA, which began training on October 2, 1995, compiled a 52-0 record during its pre-Olympic competition to finish with a 60-0 record. More popular than any previous women's basketball team, the USA drew a record 202,556 fans during the Olympics for an average of 25,320 a game.

In the first of two soldout games at Morehouse College, the USA began pool play with a 101-84 rout of Cuba. The U.S. fell behind Cuba by seven points in the game's early goings, however, Lisa Leslie's 24 points led a USA charge that saw all 12 players score. Ruthie Bolton's 21 points helped the USA follow up on its opening game victory with a 98-65 rout of Ukraine.

Moving to the 35,000-seat Georgia Dome, the U.S., paced by Jennifer Azzi's 18 points, conducted an offensive clinic as they blasted Zaire 107-47 and posted a USA Olympic record 60-point victory margin.

Witnessed by a record crowd of 33,952, four-time Olympian Teresa Edwards put on a highlight reel performance in the USA's 96-76 victory over Australia. Edwards recorded 20-points and a record-setting 15-assists, while two-time Olympian Katrina McClain accounted for 24 points and 12 boards. The USA's winning ways continued as Nikki McCray scored 16 points to lead the USA to a 105-64 rout of South Korea as the United States finished pool play with a 5-0 record.

In the quarterfinals, the USA turned to its inside game to dominate a smaller Japanese team 108-93 as Leslie recorded a USA single game Olympic scoring record with 35 points and McClain equalled the USA's single-game Olympic rebounding record with 16 boards.

Facing a rematch with Australia in the semifinals, the Aussies jumped out to an 18-10 lead in the first six minutes. But the U.S. stormed back with a 27-4 offensive spurt that put the U.S. squad in control and iced any Australia upset hopes as the USA earned the 93-71 win. Leslie, 22 points and 13 rebounds, and McClain, 18 points and 15 rebounds, paced the USA offense in the win.

While the USA rolled into the gold medal game with a perfect 7-0 mark, Brazil was also boasting of a 7-0 record. Brazil entered the game with the upper hand having dismissed USA squads in the semifinals of the '94 World Championship and '91 Pan Am Games.

Played in front of 32,987 spectators, the U.S. was red-hot from the opening tip. Hitting 71.9 percent (23-32 FGs) of its shots from the field in the first half, by the midway buzzer the U.S. led 57-46. The USA scored the second stanza's first eight points and Brazil never again got closer than 12 points as the U.S. went on to lead by as many as 31 points before claiming the gold medal with the 111-87 victory. Led by Leslie's 29 points, all 12 team members scored, including double- figure scoring from Swoopes, 16, Bolton, 15, and McClain, 12. The U.S. shot a USA single game Olmpic record 66.2 percent from the field for the game.

1996 USA WOMEN’S OLYMPIC TEAM ROSTER

1996 USA WOMEN’S OLYMPIC TEAM CUMULATIVE STATISTICS