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PARIS — The U.S. women's basketball players have been saying for years that winning in the Olympics wasn't as easy as it has looked during the record run to eight straight gold medals. France showed fans at the Paris Games that they shouldn't dismiss that narrative as rhetoric, and that the rest of the world is catching up to the U.S. The Americans captured the gold by the narrowest of margins with a 67-66 victory over France. The team is in a bit of a transition now with the retirement of Diana Taurasi, who finished her career with a record six gold medals. Still the future is bright with A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart in their prime and a talented young group coming up led by Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers and Juju Watkins.