USA too hot for Aussies

Lisa Leslie: Scored 15 points as the United States won

USA 76-54 Australia

Lisa Leslie and Natalie Williams each scored 15 points as the United States won the Olympic women's basketball gold for the fourth time in the past five Games.

Since starting their domination in 1984 at Los Angeles, the US women have lost only three games in Olympic competition and settled for less than gold only once, taking bronze in 1992.

The Australians, who were eventually humbled 76-54, had to settle for their best Olympic women's basketball showing. The Opals' only prior medal, a bronze, came in 1996 at Atlanta.

Sheryl Swoopes, the Women's National Basketball Association scoring champion who has led Houston to all four league crowns, added 14 points while Yolanda Griffith had 11 points for the Americans.

Both teams had rolled through the Games tournament undefeated, setting the stage for an epic showdown in front of a crowd of 14,978.

The Aussies trailed 43-30 at half-time but Kristi Harrower sparked a run of eight consecutive points to pull the Opals to 45-38.

And the hosts only sank two baskets in the final 8:40 of the first half while the US team went on a 17-5 run, sparked by seven points from Lisa Leslie, to lead by as much as 43-28.

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Brazil 84-73 South Korea

Janeth Arcain scored 28 points to as Brazil crushed South Korea 84-73 to clinch bronze in the third place play-off.

Brazil's only prior women's basketball medal was a 1996 silver at Atlanta. South Korea's only women's basketball medal remains the 1984 silver from Los Angeles.

Jang Sun-Hyoung's three-pointer pulled the Koreans within 71-70 with 3:03 to play but Arcain and Oliveira combined to sink 7-of-8 free throws within a minute to touch off a 13-3 closing run that spelled doom for South Korea.

Oliveira scored eight points in overtime while Arcain added seven.

Brazil took a 56-52 on Marta Sobral's three-point basket with 4:18 to play and still lead 65-62 with 45 seconds remaining after two Claudia Neves free throws.

But Yang Jung-Ok sank a three-pointer with 15 seconds remaining in regulation and Brazil missed a final shot, sending the game to overtime.

Jung scored 14 points in the first half and South Korea led 34-30 at half-time despite Oliveira's 15 first-half points for Brazil.