July 22, 1996

After the U.S. failed to win gold in the 1992 Games, USA Basketball put together a women's national team that would tour for a year leading up to Atlanta. This female version of the Dream Team romped through competition, and the sport's surging popularity led to the creation of the ABL and WNBA. Along with gold-medal showings by the soccer and softball teams, the '96 Games also heralded a boom in women's sports.

Photographs by Lois Greenfield