Now That’s What I Call A Streak, Vol. 8

Your Olympics essentials.

• What happened yesterday: The U.S. women’s basketball team won gold! Wrestler Kennedy Blades won silver! The U.S. men’s water polo team won bronze! The U.S. women’s volleyball team won silver! There was a closing ceremony! Check out all the day’s highlights.
• What’s happening today: I am doing a Reddit AMA over in r/Olympics with my colleague Sydney Bergan at noon ET! Come join us and ask your questions. After that, back to real life we go! 
• The final medal count: The U.S. won the overall medal count with 126 (40 golds, 44 silvers, 42 bronze) and tied China for the most gold medals.

The Paste BN app brings you every Team USA medal — right when it happens. Download for full Olympics coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and much more.

Winning ugly.

The U.S. women’s basketball team was like thisclose to going to overtime against France in the gold medal game. But Gabby Williams’ long 2 at the buzzer came just short of that. And the Americans ultimately won their eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal. It was sloppy. It was scrappy. But it was a win.

“The fact that this is eight straight golds, it's insane, honestly,” Breanna Stewart said afterward, her eyes widening as she said those words, “but each one is so, so different and so, so special and so hard.”

Indeed insane.

On the medals podium, it was an emotional moment for Brittney Griner. She cried as the national anthem played and the American flag was raised into the rafters.

“It means so much to me,” Griner said, her voice growing thick once again. “I didn’t think I’d be here, like I’ve said before. And then to be here winning gold for my country, representing, when my country fought so hard for me to even be standing here – yeah, this gold is going to hold a special place.”

• Brittney Griner’s tears during the national anthem show how much this Olympic gold medal means.
• A’ja Wilson is the best player on the planet — and she dragged the Americans to the win in this gold medal game.
• Diana Taurasi now has six Olympic gold medals. Will she be at LA 2028? Yep, having a beer with Sue Bird on the beach.
• After another Olympic gold medal, is the U.S. women's basketball team the best Olympic dynasty of all time?

Au revoir.

I have had a blast covering these Olympic Games. I covered some intense moments. I saw some of the world’s best athletes compete in person. I worked with some wonderful teammates. I got to write to you all every day. I ate too many croissants, including one as big as my head. It was truly a pleasure. Thank you for following along. I am already looking forward to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. So, let’s do this again, shall we?