2004 Olympics: Basketball

08:32 AM CDT on Sunday, August 29, 2004

By BRAD TOWNSEND / The Dallas Morning News

ATHENS, Greece – Tina Thompson couldn't stop crying. American teammate Tamika Catchings couldn't stop smiling.

Lisa Leslie held up three fingers, signifying the United States women's basketball team's third straight Olympic gold medal, which it earned Saturday afternoon by defeating previously unbeaten Australia, 74-63.

"I always talked about it being a dream come true just to make the Olympic team," said Catchings, the Duncanville High product. "And not only did I make it; I got to play with such great players.

"To stand on that podium and look around and see a couple of people crying, I don't really know how I feel. I looked at everybody's hands, and they were shaking because we were so excited for the moment."

This was Catchings' first Olympics. It also was Thompson's first. But the Houston Comets forward was emotional for different reasons.

Thompson, 29, was an alternate on the 2000 Olympic team that defeated Australia in the gold-medal game.

Saturday's rematch was considerably tougher for the Americans. Coming off a four-point semifinal win over Russia on Friday, they seemed ripe for an upset Saturday, especially after Australia took a 49-45 lead with 1:26 left in the third quarter.

But although third-time gold medalists Leslie, Dawn Staley and Sheryl Swoopes received much of the attention in the medal ceremony's afterglow, it was Thompson and another 2000 alternate, Shannon Johnson, who led the comeback.

Thompson scored 11 of her team-high 18 points in the second half. Johnson scored 10 of her 12 points in the second and third quarters.

Smiley N. Pool / DMN

Members of the U.S. women's team celebrate their gold-medal victory Saturday.

The Americans used a 13-1 run at the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth to break the game open.

Meanwhile, Australian star and WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson, who talked openly about wanting to meet the U.S. team in the final, was held to 12 points.

"Look, they're a great team and all credit to them, but we're going to get there one day," Jackson said. "I don't think for a minute that they're going to be on top forever."

Jackson and Leslie rarely matched up in Sydney four years ago – although Jackson gained attention late in the 76-54 loss by pulling off one of Leslie's hair extensions and holding it up to the crowd.

Before Saturday's game, U.S. coach Van Chancellor asked 32-year-old Leslie to guard the 25-year-old Jackson.

"Definitely, that was a great pleasure for me," Leslie said. "Lauren's had a lot to say over this whole period of being at the Olympics about wanting to play the USA. I feel like I was able to cause her problems out there on the court."

As of Saturday night, the women's Olympic MVP had not been named, but American players' sentiment favored the quiet, under-the-radar Thompson.

Catchings scored only one point Saturday, but that didn't matter as she stood on the podium, looked in the stands and saw her mother, Wanda, who flew in from Dallas last week.

"I looked up there, and she was crying," Catchings said. "I'm the baby, so everything that I do, she takes personally."

E-mail btownsend@dallasnews.com