U.S. women repeat as world champs

NANJING, China (AP) -- Sheryl Swoopes scored 18 points and Lisa Leslie added 17 as the United States defeated Russia 79-74 on Wednesday to win its second straight Women's World Basketball Championship.

Leslie, who clinched the game with a fourth-quarter jumper, was named the tournament's MVP. The 6 foot 5 inch (198 centimeter) center from the WNBA Los Angeles Sparks averaged 17.25 points a game going into the final.

The win was the 19th straight victory in championship play for the American women, who last lost a game in 1994.

Leslie refused to proclaim a dynasty, but she said the win did restore U.S. pride after the American men placed an embarrassing sixth in the world championship in Indiana earlier this month.

"I think we have redeemed them. But we have all learned a big lesson from the men," Leslie said. "We just can't get complacent."

The gold medal was America's seventh, making them the most-winning team in the championship's 49-year history. The former Soviet Union is No. 2 with six golds.

Australia clinched the bronze Wednesday with a 91-63 win over South Korea. Lauren Jackson, the tournament's top scorer with 22.13 points going into the last game, led with 31 points.

A fourth quarter rally by the Russians made the final the closest game of the tournament for the Americans, who had won their previous games by an average of more than 30 points.

Russia closed to within one point with just minutes to go in the fourth quarter. But Leslie put the game out of reach with two foul shots and then an outside jumper on a pass from Shannon Johnson.

"It was a big jumper for us. And from there, our momentum changed. Defensively, we were able to jump on them, and I think we held the lead from that point on," Leslie said.

U.S. head coach Van Chancellor said the U.S. defense, which he said limited its opponents to an average of less than 60 points per game, was the key to winning the entire championship.

"I think it's the best defensive team the United States has ever had," Chancellor said.

Russia struck first with a jumper by Ilona Korstine, who led her team with 27 points for the night. The Russians were up 6-3 early in the first quarter.

The Americans bounced back with a three-pointer by Tamika Catchings and a Dawn Staley jumper that put the United States up 10-8.

But Russia, which kept the game close all night, tied it at 13 on a jump shot by Elena Baranova, who finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds.

Leslie struck for two with a leaping shot under the net and drew the foul for an extra point, putting the United States up for good 16-13.

Leslie was benched in the second quarter after three fouls. But Catchings stepped into the breach, scoring 14 of her 16 points in the first half. The United States ended the half up 48-35.

"They kept giving me the ball and leaving me open, so there was the opportunity to step up and knock down the shot," Catchings said.

Swoopes roared to life in the third quarter, scoring eight points as the United States held onto about a 10-point margin.

But at the start of the fourth quarter, Korstine closed the gap with a seven-point run. She hit a three pointer that whittled the U.S. lead to 67-63.

"She just really killed us. She was coming off cuts, she did shots from the outside, she was able to get inside. I thought we did a pretty good job on Baranova," Leslie said.

With Leslie benched again with a fourth foul, Swoopes and Korstine went back and forth in scoring, until Baranova hit a lay up that put Russia within one, at 71-70 with 3:30 to go.

Chancellor put Leslie back in.

"Immediately I had one thought. We were going go down inside to Lisa Leslie and win or lose it there," he said.

Leslie hit the shots that mattered, while Catchings and Johnson shut down the Russian counterattack with key steals and rebounds. Catchings, a 23-year-old forward with the Indiana Fever, had 11 rebounds for the night.

"When we just absolutely had to, we found a way to defend them and we could keep them from scoring in the last minute in a half," Chancellor said.

 

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