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RIO DE JANEIRO -- Geno Auriemma and Diana Taurasi shared a long, emotional embrace. Mission accomplished.The dominant U.S. womens basketball team did what was expected, winning a sixth consecutive Olympic gold medal and doing it in impressive fashion. In yet another rout, the U.S. dismantled Spain 101-72 on Saturday.Taurasi and the Americans played nearly flawless basketball in Rio, and were never challenged. They have won 49 consecutive games in the Olympics with only one of those decided by single digits.Its amazing isnt it? I mean when you think, thats 20 years of 20 years, Auriemma said. You know the first one was 96 and here we are 2016. Its mindboggling when you think about it what this team has been able to accomplish, this program of the USA Basketball program. There is such a level of expectation, theres such a level of respect for the people at the very top.Were doing stuff that may never be done again.Even with that kind of sustained success by some very talented U.S. teams, this may be the best womens basketball squad ever assembled. The team won by nearly 40 points a game, but fell short of the record 102.4 points the 1996 team averaged.But if this isnt the best ever, its close.Taurasi puts the 2016 group at the top of the list.I mean Im not just saying talent-wise. Im not saying margin of victory. Im saying this is the most determined, unselfish team Ive ever been on -- hands down, the four-time gold medalist said.There never really was any doubt that the U.S. would win the gold in Rio. The only question was by how much.Still, closure to their journey Saturday had Auriemma and Taurasi both fighting back tears.I think it was a very emotional time. When youre around these players and youre around Sue (Bird)and Diana and Tamika (Catchings), and you know that this maybe their last and youre able to send them out, its like graduating seniors back home, Auriemma said. And at the same time, youve got three young players whove never been here before. They get to go home with their first gold medal ever.Theres just a lot of emotions running through our team and running through our locker room.Unlike their semifinal win over France when the Americans looked discombobulated for a half, the U.S. was more fluid offensively. It helped having Bird back in the lineup. The four-time gold medalist and team captain missed the semifinal game with a sprained right knee capsule. She wasnt 100 percent Saturday, but was good enough.The U.S., which beat Spain by 40 in a preliminary round game, got off to a slow start and only led 21-17 after the first quarter. The Americans were up 27-24 in the second quarter before getting going.Auriemma turned to something very familiar to him to spark the Americans.The UConn coach put his five former Huskie players on the court at the same time for the first time in the Olympics and that group started the 16-3 run that blew it open. Breanna Stewart got the spurt started with two free throws. Taurasi then hit consecutive 3-pointers -- her first points of the game -- as the Americans scored 10 straight.By the time Lindsay Whalens layup just beat the halftime buzzer, the U.S. led 49-32 and Spain had just two baskets in the final 6:55 of the half. Whalen finished the game with 17 points, tied for the team lead with Taurasi.Spain never threatened in the second half. Auriemma started the fourth quarter with Bird, Taurasi and Catchings on the court and the game in hand. The three four-time Olympians have had a tremendous impact on USA Basketball over the past 12 years. He took the trio out together for one final time with 5:44 left in the game.Auriemma had said from the start this group was on a mission that is now complete.Even with the loss, Spain earned its first Olympic medal in womens basketball. Serbia topped France for the Bronze. The Spaniards have been on the rise lately, also winning a silver medal at the 2014 world championship. They are hosting the 2018 worlds.Im glad that we could compete like the first quarter. We were close, but its a team like its a dream team, Silvia Dominguez said. The best team in the world, they showed that.They did, and the gold medal game was just like the rest of this tournament, all about the U.S.No American team has been deeper with Catchings as its 12th player. They trailed for just over 11 minutes in the entire Olympics and the biggest deficit was just four points -- 6-2 to France. They never were down after the first quarter and with the exception of the semifinal win over France all the games were pretty much after 20 minutes.Its been quite a run for this group, which features 12 players with a combined 29 Olympic gold medals -- the most ever for any team.This game marked the end of Catchings Olympic career. She is retiring at the end of the WNBA season. Taurasi and Bird have hinted that this will be their final Olympics although both could still return in four years in Tokyo. The trio joined Lisa Leslie and Teresa Edwards as the only Olympians to win four gold medals.Even if the three players dont wear the red, white and blue again, the future remains bright for the U.S. Elena Delle Donne, Brittney Griner and Stewart all won their first Olympic golds. Maya Moore, Tina Charles and Angel McCoughtry should be back in 2020 as well, providing a solid nucleus for USA Basketball to build on.---Online:AP Summer Games website: http://summergames.ap.org/---Follow Doug on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dougfeinberg Jakub Voracek Flyers Jersey . -- The goal posts lying flat on the field, Arizonas fans lingered on the field, congregating around the locker room entrance nearly 30 minutes after rushing out of the stands. Oskar Lindblom Jersey . The Vancouver coach and an announced sellout crowd of 18,910 watched in dismay as the Canucks lost 7-4 to the New York Islanders on Monday night by squandering a 3-0 lead in the third period. http://www.hockeyflyersauthentic.com/michael-raffl-jersey/ . -- Its been a long road back for Sean Bergenheim. Brian Propp Flyers Jersey . First off, the fans ripped the Cubbies introduction of a fuzzy new kid-friendly mascot named "Clark". Bobby Clarke Flyers Jersey . The 20-year-old Pelicans big man glanced up and smiled widely at the well-wishers -- a fitting end to a day he wont soon forget. Davis responded to his selection earlier in the day as a Western Conference All-Star with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-91 on Friday night. His injury woes finally behind him, Sydney ruckman Kurt Tippett is confident and looking to build on his form going into Saturdays grand final after breaking the longest scoring drought of his AFL career.Tippett was in arguably career-best form over the second half of last season and the first half of the current campaign.That rich vein of form was interrupted by a mid-season hamstring tendon injury which required surgery and sidelined him for eight matches.Tippett returned in round 22 and played three games before missing a further match, when he suffered a hairline fracture of his jaw in a qualifying final.He returned for last Fridays preliminary final against Geelong, contributing two goals to the Swans thumping win over the Cats.Ive been able to do some good training over the last six , seven weeks and I feel confident and looking to build on my performance from last week, Tippett told AAP on Monday.The brace of goals against Geelong ended the leanest scoring spell of Tippetts nine-season AFL career.He had gone six games either side of his surgery without a goal, three more matches than his previous worst spell.In his four seasons with Sydney, Tippett had never gone more than one game without a goal.Youre not worrried about numbers in the first couple of weeks back (from injury), Tippett said.ddddddddddddYoure just trying to get back out there and find your feet and start playing your role and grounding yourself in the game again.Tippett formed a highly effective ruck tandem with former West Coast big man Callum Sinclair in the first half of the season.Sinclair also suffered a long-term injury in the second half of the season, with less experienced duo Sam Naismith and Toby Nankervis stepping up in the absence of the two senior ruckmen.In recent weeks Tippett has teamed up with 206cm Naismith, who he described as a great athlete.Weve seen him grow so fast. Its a real credit to him, Tippett said.Sydneys grand final opponent Western Bulldogs have an injury query over ruckman Jordan Roughead, though Tom Boyd stepped up with a career-best 21 hitouts when he took over the ruck duties last weekend.The way Boyd stepped in and was able to shoulder a lot of that ruck work was very impressive, Tippett said.They are two different ruckmen. Were going to sit down and have a good luck at them in the coming days. ' ' '