Candace Parker, and Team USA Female Olympians, Are the Real Dream Team

The U.S. women's basketball team defeated France 86-50 in the London 2012 final, winning their fifth straight Olympic gold medal and cementing Team USA’s female athletes – who outnumber their male counterparts for the first time ever in Olympic history – as responsible for restoring the Olympic glory that Team USA lost to China during the Beijing 2008 Games – four years ago.

The basketball female Olympic gold medal is the crown jewel of an amazing Team USA made of women who have demonstrated not only immense discipline and achievements but also tenacity and – more importantly – a sense of team work and sportsmanship that discipline after discipline have helped Olympic Team USA improve its performance and standing in the world of sports competition.

The feat started in Women’s Gymnastics, where Gaby Douglas, Jordyn Weiber, Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney conquered the U.S.’ first Olympic gold in women's gymnastics since 1996, with a score of 183.596 – which was a whopping five points better than Russia's, the silver medalists.

Then, Alex Morgan and the Women’s soccer team defeated Japan, the reigning World Champions, to whom the U.S. lost in Germany during the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Captain Christine said it best in a phrase that encapsulates the true American competitive spirit, “This is the moment we’ve been training for since we lost to Japan last summer.”

And now, the Women’s basketball closed with a bang by defeating France in and taking gold in London 2012. This time, Candace Parker – who scored 21 points – was the heroine helping to seal the win – which is the latest in this dominant run that the Americans have been on over the past 16 years. The U.S. has now won 41 consecutive games in the Olympics since taking the bronze medal in 1992.

As it turns out, the true Dream Team is not Kobe and LeBron’s but all the highly performing and courageous female Olympians who restored glory for the United States in the London 2012 Olympics.