USA vs. Spain: 2014 FIBA Women's Gold Medal Game Score and Recap

The United States women's basketball team put on a dominant display on Sunday, defeating Spain by a score of 77-64 to take the gold medal at the 2014 FIBA Women's World Championship.

Spain was left with the silver medal, while Australia defeated Turkey, 74-44, in the third-place game to take home the bronze medal.

Here is the quarter-by-quarter score from the contest:

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Final
USA	28	20	19	10	77
Spain	17	12	19	16	64

Both teams were dominant in group play, with the United States outscoring their opponents by a total of 126 points and Spain besting their opposition by 76. However, the gold-medal game would show just how far the rest of the world has to come to compete with the nation that invented the newest global game. 

USA Basketball provided a look at coach Geno Auriemma and his squad at the start of the game:

Spain, playing in their first ever FIBA finals, were no match for the superior speed and athleticism of the United States. ESPN producer Desmond M. Wallace pointed out that the connections to UConn, a perennial college basketball powerhouse, ran deep in this squad:

It was obvious from the jump ball that the Stars and Stripes had the edge in talent and polished skill, an obvious benefit of basketball's cultural importance within the country. 

The United States opened up an early 15-5 lead and never looked back, outshooting and outplaying Spain in just about every facet of the game.

Maya Moore was on fire in the first half, scoring 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the floor. USA Basketball noted Moore was mostly responsible for the United States' quick start:

Spain struggled to convert on their shots with any consistency. Center Brittney Griner did well to protect the basket and alter the shots of the driving Spanish guards. She was also a force down low, as noted by USA Basketball:

Alba Torrens put up 28 points for Spain in their semifinal win over Turkey, but the United States defense did well to muffle her play in the gold-medal game.

Torrens finished the contest with a disappointing 10 points on 4-of-14 shooting from the field, including making just two of her five shots from downtown. Point guard Diana Taurasi, who just wrapped up a fine season as the floor general for the 2014 WNBA Champion Phoenix Mercury, finished the first half with seven assists. She picked apart Spain's defense with ease and allowed her teammates to flourish with her confident, unselfish play.

This fan noted that Taurasi can dominate games without looking for her own shot:

Spain picked up their play in the third quarter, racking up 19 points. However, the United States did well to match them basket for basket and picked up 19 of their own in the third.

Sancho Lyttle was all over the place for Spain. She shot just 6-of-18 from the floor, but picked up 16 points, 11 rebounds and four assists through her tireless play.

Uncredited/Associated Press

Associated Press reporter Doug Feinberg noted Laura Nicholls was taking the majority of the team's shots, and this perhaps wasn't the best strategy considering her off-kilter performance:

Still, Nicholls was one of the few Spain players who did well enough to create her own shot on occasion and finished with 10 points.

Griner and Nicholls got into a bit of a scrum in the third, with both players receiving technical fouls, per Feinberg:

The pace slowed down considerably in the fourth quarter, with the game already a foregone conclusion. Lindsay Whalen played well in the final frame and finished with 12 points.

Seimone Augustus also chipped in with a fine performance, putting up 10 points and pulling down six rebounds. Spain were able to outscore the United States 16-10 in the fourth, but it was much too little, much too late and the USA women's team had their well-deserved gold-medal victory.

Uncredited/Associated Press

The United States is clearly still the dominant nation in both men's and women's basketball, but if there is a hierarchy developing as the sport widens its global reach, Spain are likely the greatest challengers. Already a force on the men's side with the likes of Pau and Marc Gasol as well as Serge Ibaka, the women's side put on an impressive display in this tournament, including a 66-56 win over host nation Turkey in the semifinals.

Lyttle, who plays her club basketball for Galatasaray as well as the Atlanta Dream, is 31 years old but looks like the type of assured, confident star that can move into a role as an ambassador for the game.

The performance of the international teams could perhaps see some players looking to move to the WNBA and test their mettle against the players from the U.S. squad. A higher profile around the world could be a boon for women's basketball in the United States, allowing the league to grow alongside the NBA in an era of increased globalization.

All game stats courtesy of FIBA.com.