RIO DE JANEIRO -- They kept hearing theyve been routing everyone because their competition is getting worse, and they kept politely trying to tell us we have it all wrong.Its a little bit disrespectful, really, said Diana Taurasi, one of the stars of the U.S. womens Olympic basketball team. And shes right. The lazy take is the American team met little to no resistance on the way to its sixth straight gold medal Saturday, when it steamrolled Spain 101-72, the same way it flattened everyone else it played in this eight-game tournament.But the accurate explanation is the level of basketball the American women now play is as good, maybe better, than it has ever been. It showed when European champion Serbia tried to threaten them in group play, France tried to hang with them in the semis, and Spain began Saturdays gold medal game determined to make things uncomfortable for the U.S. The Spaniards banged into the American shooters and smacked into their rebounders early on, unworried about the hard fouls that came with knocking them to the floor.It didnt matter. None of it mattered.Afterward, you didnt need to be fluent in Spanish to piece together what the Spaniards head coach, Lucas Mondelo, was saying when he compared this team of Taurasi and Sue Bird, Tina Charles and Maya Moore, Brittany Griner and all the rest to the 1992 U.S. mens Dream Team of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. He didnt know that just a few days earlier, someone had asked guard Angel McCoughtry, one of the younger members of the U.S. team, a variation of the same question: Was this squad so dominant it deserved to supplant the 96 American squad of Lisa Leslie, Theresa Edwards, Tina Thompson and Dawn Staley in the public imagination as the best womens Dream Team there has ever been?Wait! said McCoughtry, one of the 2016 teams blithest spirits. She brightened and asked, Who does that make me? [Sheryl] Swoopes? Can I be Swoopes?McCoughtry is not quite Swoopes -- yet. But she is a two-time WNBA scoring champ and steals leader who stands out at both ends of the court, just as Swoopes once did. Bird, Taurasi and Tamika Catchings all joined Leslie on Sunday as the only four-time team gold medalists in American Olympic history. Fowles and Seimone Augustus won their third gold medals. By pulling together, this 12-woman squad of wall-to-wall stars extended the U.S.s Summer Games winning streak to 48 games dating to 1992.And, as Bird and Taurasi said, they did it by copying the example of the teams that started the streak way back when. As they walk out the door, they expect the younger players on this team to do the same.Bird said when she, Taurasi and Catchings were the rookies on the 2004 squad that won gold in Athens, We knew were on that team to learn, to see what it mean to represent the United States at an Olympic event. And to take the torch, and run with it. We were really lucky to have the older players, the veterans on that team, show us with their focus on how to play, and with their work. And what we saw was Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, Dawn Staley, Tina Thompson -- I mean, these are Hall of Fame players -- and we saw them not care about points, not care about rebounds, not care about any stats on the stat sheet. They only cared about gold medals.We learned that from them. And I think, hopefully, weve done them proud as well, because thats exactly how we played each of the Olympics weve been in. We just go out there and try to win.And still, great as past U.S. teams have been, even Bird and coach Geno Auriemma -- two folks whove been there, done that, and remain incredibly hard to please -- agreed Sunday that a U.S. team has rarely been more impressive than this 2016 Olympic squad.This teams average margin of victory in the eight games it played was 36.6 points, or five more than the 96 clubs margin.This U.S. squad averaged 102.3 points, and allowed their opponents to score only 64.8, nine points per game less than the 96 squad gave up. The 96 Dream Team scored 100 or better in four of the eight games it played. This squad did it six times, and set a single-game record of 121 points scored in its opener against Senegal.Im just really happy, Bird said. We just did something really incredible. When you get together as a team and you know you only have a month to do something, its remarkable in so many ways that we were able to put this together, and do it in a fashion that leaves no question mark. We put ourselves on the map as arguably one of the best teams [ever]. And we had fun doing it.After they were finally done Saturday, they celebrated as if they really did believe nothing was guaranteed.Elena Delle Donne, a first-time Olympian, laughed and said she kept touching the medal around her neck again and again just to make sure its still there. Augustus did a Usain Bolt imitation and shot an imaginary arrow toward the crowd, and the 6-foot-8 Griner, who was also playing in her first Games, sought out the 6-1 Auriemma and lifted him completely off the floor in a postgame bear hug, then comically held him there for a bit with his legs dangling a foot off the ground.Yeah, it was a long way up for him -- I need to ask him, You OK there? You getting a little woozy? Griner said jokingly.Auriemma later broke down crying when Taurasi, whom hes known since she was 17, hugged him too and told him she could have never accomplished everything she has without him.Not bad for two immigrants, said Taurasi, whose mother was born in Argentina and father in Italy, same as Auriemma was before emigrating to the United States.Auriemma is used to hitting new heights. After hed movingly praised Catchings, Taurasi and Bird for all theyve meant to the U.S. program, after he touted what terrific players Fowles and Della Donne, Charles and Maya Moore, Lindsey Whalen and Breanna Stewart had all been, he was asked what he sees happening to the U.S. program going forward. And he said he hoped Delle Donne, Stewart and Griner had been paying close attention, because now its their turn to carry the torch.Basketball is cyclical, Auriemma said, praising the teams from France, Spain and Serbia by name, and predicting Australia, Russia and Brazil will rise up again. Right now, he said, were at a real high level that maybe no one has ever seen before. Thats not necessarily because they [the rest of the world] got weaker. Womens basketball just keeps getting stronger and stronger and stronger in the U.S. If you took us out of this tournament, this would be an amazing tournament. Amazing, he insisted.Smirking now, Auriemma added, Unfortunately [for the rest of the world], were not going anywhere. Deandre Ayton Jersey . -- PGA TOUR Canada member Steve Saunders took a three-stroke lead Saturday in the Web. Cheick Diallo Suns Jersey . The winner Saturday will remain in the elite 10-team field next year. "We talked about wanting to be disciplined and stick with our game plan and good things will come," Draisaitl said, who had two goals for the victors. https://www.thesunslockerroom.com/Customized/ . The deal is pending a physical, assistant general manager Bobby Evans said. Traded from Seattle to Baltimore on Aug. 30, Morse also can play first base and right field to give manager Bruce Bochy some flexibility in writing his lineup. Phoenix Suns Jerseys . The All-Pro lineman got the leg bent under him while trying to make a tackle during the first half of a 22-20 overtime loss at Miami on Thursday night. The medical staff initially thought hed torn the ligament, and the test a day later in Cincinnati confirmed it. Tyler Johnson Suns Jersey .H. -- Matt Kenseth made it 2 for 2 in the Chase, holding off teammate Kyle Busch to win Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. ATLANTA -- Breanna Stewart had 23 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three blocks in the Seattle Storms 91-82 victory over the Atlanta Dream on Sunday night.Sue Bird added 23 points, Jewell Loyd had 17 and Alysha Clark 11 for the Storm (12-17).Seattle had their largest lead of 26 early in the fourth quarter. Angel McCoughtrys 3-pointer with 3:25 left capped a 19-4 run that cut Atlantas deficit to 82-71, but Birds 3-ppointer made it 89-73 at 1:42 and the Storm held on.ddddddddddddMcCoughtry was 12 of 17 from the field and had 32 points. Tiffany Hayes added 20 for the Dream (14-14).The Storm built an eight-point lead by halftime and pulled away with a 10-0 run in the middle of the third quarter to lead 61-41. ' ' '