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Former Chicago Sky players Kahleah Copper and Gabby Williams delivered the final blows in Sunday’s gold medal basketball game as the United States beat France 67-66 to take home its eighth consecutive Olympic title.

Despite serving as a rotational player for the majority of the Olympics, Copper stepped up to lead the U.S. after a shaky start. She finished with 12 points and five rebounds off the bench, sinking a pair of free throws with three seconds left that turned out to be the difference.

Williams, meanwhile, scored a team-high 19 points for France and nearly upended the U.S. bid for gold. She nailed a 3-pointer to cut the lead to one with five seconds to go, and after Copper’s free throws she sank a buzzer-beater — only to realize her foot was over the 3-point line, leaving her team one point short of forcing overtime.

The Sky drafted Williams with the No. 4 pick in 2018, and the 5-foot-11 forward played her first three WNBA seasons in Chicago. The Sky had traded for Copper the year before, and the pair represented a promising young future as the team pushed for deeper playoff runs.

Williams was an immediate starter for the Sky as a rookie, but she fell into contention with coach James Wade over her role with the French Federation of Basketball, which ultimately resulted in a full-season suspension and trade in May 2021. Animosity from that situation clearly still lingers, as Williams responded to tweets Sunday from Angel Reese by saying the Sky “did me dirty” and that she never wanted to play in Chicago again.

Copper’s tenure with the Sky was longer and more stable as she developed into a team centerpiece after breaking out as Finals MVP for the 2021 champions. Her exit from Chicago last offseason signaled the beginning of a new chapter for the franchise under coach Teresa Weatherspoon — and the trade that sent Copper to Phoenix enabled the Sky to select Kamilla Cardoso with the No. 3 pick in this year’s draft.

Also on the Olympic front, Lincolnwood native Jewell Loyd (Niles West) and Chicago’s Anthony Davis (Perspectives Charter) won their second gold medals with the U.S. women’s and men’s teams, respectively. New Bulls guard Josh Giddey was the only player to represent either Chicago professional team in Paris, exiting the tournament with Australia’s quarterfinal loss to Serbia.

Angel Reese signs with Unrivaled

Chicago Sky's Angel Reese is interviewed after the 88-87 win over the Fever at Wintrust Arena on June 23, 2024. (Eileen T. Meslar/baiduhai)
Chicago Sky's Angel Reese is interviewed after the 88-87 win over the Fever at Wintrust Arena on June 23, 2024. (Eileen T. Meslar/baiduhai)

The Sky rookie became the latest WNBA star to sign with Unrivaled — a new 3-on-3 league founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart — during the Olympic break.

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The Unrivaled season is scheduled for January to March in Miami. Reese is one of 10 players who have been announced for the inaugural lineup, which also includes Copper, Kelsey Plum and Arike Ogunbowale. The group eventually will include 24 players, split into six teams.

The season also will include a 1-on-1 tournament with a $250,000 prize for the winner. The league has not finalized a media rights deal for its inaugural season.

Reese cited the financial support — which includes a $100,000 minimum salary in addition to bonuses for results — as a deciding factor in her commitment to Unrivaled.

“I never planned on going overseas,” Reese said. “A lot of us never want to go overseas, but some people do have to unfortunately. So being able to make six figures here within three months, being able to be housed in Miami, just being able to get better at 3-on-3 — that’s something that I love to do.”

Illinois women face Italian and Greek teams on European tour

The Illinois women’s basketball team played a pair of exhibition games against European opponents last weekend in Italy and Greece, earning wins over club teams Spain & Italy Select and Amilla Peristeriou.

Four players finished in double digits — Adalia McKenzie with 11 points and Genesis Bryant, Berry Wallace and Kendall Bostic with 10 each — in a balanced win over Spain & Italy Select. Sophomore Gretchen Dolan sank three 3-pointers against Amilla Peristeriou to lead the scoring with 21 points in a 67-65 win. Senior Makira Cook recorded 14 assists over the two games.

During days off, the team visited the Acropolis and the Colosseum, learned to make pizza in Florence and took boat tours of the Saronic Islands and Amalfi Coast.

The Illini won the first Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament last season — the first postseason tournament title in program history.

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Northwestern and Loyola to play in MKE Classic

The Northwestern and Loyola men’s teams will head north in December for the MKE Tip-Off, a one-day, three-game event at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

Northwestern will face Georgia Tech and Loyola will play San Francisco. The Dec. 15 event also includes a matchup between host Milwaukee and Akron.

Sky dates to watch

The Sky (10-14) return to action after the Olympic break on Thursday at Wintrust Arena against the Phoenix Mercury and gold medalists Copper, Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi.

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever return to Wintrust on Aug. 30 for the teams’ fourth and final meeting. The previous game — an 88-87 Sky win on June 23 — snapped a two-game losing streak to the Fever and featured Reese’s eighth consecutive double-double.

“I’m a dog,” Reese said after the win. “You can’t teach that.”