At the very last second of the final against the Americans, while France was trailing by three points, Gabby Williams made a superb long-range shot… which ultimately counted for only two points, as the French player barely stepped on the line. Cruel.
Just a few extra centimeters. But they change everything. The French basketball players, down by three points with just seconds remaining in the final against the Americans, truly believed they could force overtime thanks to a basket by Gabby Williams.
Trailing (64-67) with less than four seconds left, the Blues had one last possession to try to achieve the impossible. At full speed, they pushed up the court thanks to a pass from Marine Johannès to Gabby Williams. A not-so-random choice: the latter had led her teammates in the final (19 points scored) and had just given them hope with a three-point shot. And it was a smart choice as the Nevada native managed to make a magnificent basket right at the buzzer.
Gabby Williams inconsolable
Everyone immediately thought of the equalizer – the players and Gabby Williams first among them -, but the French player, perhaps caught up by the ticking clock, stepped on the line at the moment of her shot, entering the two-point area.
So a superb last basket was indeed scored, but it left a very bitter taste. The Blues ultimately fall short by just one point (67-68) of a monumental feat at home, after having held a +10 lead in the third quarter. And this left Gabby Williams inconsolable.