Last time USA women's basketball lost in Olympics: Revisiting the 1992 U.S. team that settled for bronze after upset

When forecasting how many medals the United States will win at the Summer Olympics, you could pretty reliably count on two gold medals more than just about any others: men's and women's basketball.

The U.S. remains dominant in basketball on the world stage, though the international growth of the game is challenging that track record of success.

There are exceptions, of course. The U.S. men's basketball team famously lost to Argentina in the semifinals of the 2004 Olympics, only to bounce back with four consecutive gold medals and, soon, potentially a fifth. The women's team hasn't slipped up in more than 30 years, though. Its record of excellence at the Olympics is matched by few, and the American women are favored to win basketball gold again in Paris.

Here's a look at the last time the U.S. women's basketball team missed out on gold at the Olympics.

MORE: USA women's basketball roster, from oldest to youngest

Last time USA women's basketball lost in Olympics

The United States women's basketball team hasn't fallen short of a gold medal since 1992, when a loss to the Unified Team (the fallen Soviet Union) ended their hopes.

The U.S. started out as dominant as one would expect with wins by 55, 26, and 56 points. After allowing 47 first-half points to the Unified Team, however, they couldn't close the gap. Natalya Zasulskaya had 20 points and eight rebounds for the Unified Team, while Medina Dixon's 12 points led Team USA in the loss.

The U.S. still seemed shaken early in its bronze medal game against Cuba, allowing 44 points in the first half and going to halftime tied, but a 44-30 second half allowed the Americans to still collect a medal. It was ultimately a disappointing result, particularly with the backdrop of the men's "Dream Team" rolling to gold at the same time.

The loss to the Unified Team, a major upset, was only USA women's basketball's third-ever Olympic loss. The Unified Team would go on to defeat China in the gold medal game. 

Team USA came back in 1996 and handled business on their home turf, defeating Japan, Australia, and Brazil by double-digits in the knockout stage of the Atlanta Summer Games to claim gold. They haven't lost since.

MORE: Schedule, results for women's basketball knockout stage

How many gold medals has USA women's basketball won?

USA women's basketball has won nine gold medals in 12 Olympic appearances, with their only losses coming in 1976 and 1992; 2024 is still in progress.

The U.S. entered 2024 looking to extend its gold medal streak to nine consecutive Olympics. Here's a full view of Team USA's result by year:

Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird led USA women's basketball with five gold medals each, and Taurasi can have the record to herself with six if the U.S. wins again in Paris.