Paris 2024: Netherlands retain wheelchair basketball crown
Women’s team see off challenge from USA to reign supreme at Paris 2024 Paralympics 08 Sep 2024
Netherlands secured back-to-back Paralympic gold medals in the women’s wheelchair basketball on the final day of the Paris 2024 Games, courtesy of an outstanding final display against USA.
Inspired by top scorer Bo Kramer (23 points) and Mariska Beijer (22 points), the Dutch overturned an early 8-1 deficit to record an impressive 63-49 win.
In front of a packed and noisy Bercy Arena, both sides played their full part in a gripping spectacle that brought the curtain down on the Paris 2024 court action in fitting style.
The Netherlands came into the game as reigning Paralympic champions after securing gold at Toyko 2020, along with the last two World Championships. But they trailed by seven points early on as USA’s Rose Hollermann – who top scored for her side with 17 points – started impressively.
That was when first Beijer and then Kramer rose to the fore, spearheading a superb all round team effort that ultimately proved too much for their gallant opponents.
“It was a rough start and we had a bit of trouble getting the ball to the next in the first few minutes,” Kramer reflected.
“But before the game, we decided as a team what we were going to do in attack and defence, and if we did that, then we believed that we’d be able to get the win.
“In the first few minutes we were very nervous – I for example was very nervous – but we kept playing our game, and didn’t change anything because of America. Then you see that slowly that starts working, they will miss some shots and at half-time we said it’s 40 minutes to keep fighting.
“We made a gap in the third quarter and now I have a gold medal around my neck for the second time in a row.”
More to come for USA
The USA’s Hollerman felt that her side never fully clicked but retained a sense of pride in their overall competition. She said, “We came out with a lot of fight, but we couldn’t maintain it.
"They’re a great team so they were also going to take punches at us. When that happened, we didn’t adjust and keep our energy high, and that’s something in the future we can try to work on.
“We had a great first half against them and then came out in the third, started really well but defensively we just couldn’t stop chairs.
“As a team I don’t really think that we peaked, and we have a lot left in our tank. I never felt we got into that flow state as a team, but I’m proud that we finished with a silver medal. There’s a lot more left for us, and that’s a great feeling as a team that we can get back to work.”
Story of the match
Hollermann helped her side make the brighter start, as she was central to them taking an early 8-1 advantage. USA were still ahead at the end of the opening quarter, 12-8, through a combination of their sharp ball movement and rapid counter attacks.
But Netherlands, with Beijer prominent, wrestled control of the contest and scoreboard from them midway through the second period, and it was a lead they would never relinquish.
By half-time the Europeans – cheered on by large pockets of fans decked out in orange – were 31-24 in front, a second period highlight coming with Carina de Rooji’s overhead basket.
The third quarter followed a similar pattern, with Kramer now helping to control proceedings with a series of well-taken baskets to help them to an 11-point advantage.
That was briefly reduced to eight following a brilliant breakaway score for the USA, finished by Ixhelt Gonzalez.
But a three-point response from Kramer eased any fears of a genuine comeback, and the Dutch eased to victory in the closing stages.
“The pressure on us was sky high and that’s not always fun to be honest,” Kramer added. “But I’m so, so proud of every single girl in this squad and the staff as well, that we handled the pressure.”
China capitalise to take bronze
Earlier, China clinched the bronze medal with a 65-43 win over Canada, with Zhang Tonglei top scoring with 23 points.
Coach Chen Qi said: "We are lucky, because the (semi-final) game between Canada and the Netherlands was really tiring (for Canada). They really ran out of energy when playing (today). I could see they were not fully recovered.
"We didn't really get loose (in the semi-final) and we didn't play our best or as we normally do in training.
"Today, we just tried to relax everyone and just to let them do whatever they could."
