“I turned to (guard Rhyne Howard’s) 
mom and I’m like, ‘We did not come to 
Thailand to get a silver medal.’
“‘What is he going to pull out? What is he 
possibly going to do?’”
It was going to be a long fifteen seconds.
Howard went for the first foul, reaching 
around Australia’s Isobel Anstey. Trying 
to waste time by avoiding the foul as long 
as possible, Antsey twisted her upper 
body back in Howard’s direction.
Her elbow went straight into Howard’s 
nose.
The flagrant, accidental foul gave two free 
throws and the ball to the United States. 
After making one of two free throws, the 
ball was inbounded by mid-court.
Hillmon posted herself near the elbow, 
with two of her teammates crossing in 
front of her. Van Lith made her move, and 
the ball was lofted over everyone to her. 
She jump-stepped, faked her shot and 
ducked. Her shaken defender tumbled 
over her, before she banked in the game-
tying shot.
With 12 seconds left, Australia was unable 
to hit the game-winning shot, sending the 
match to overtime.
A team that the United States beat by 23 
in the first game of the tournament was 
fifteen seconds and free throws away 
from winning the gold medal against the 
United States. They couldn’t close it out.
In overtime, Hillmon gathered four 
rebounds and scored two points. The 
United States won the gold medal, 74-70.
When 
the 
medals 
were 
awarded, 

they called for the captain. Anderson 
watched, feet away, as her daughter — 
whose dismay two years ago had worried 
her so much she kept the invitation to 
the trials from Hillmon to make sure she 
really wanted to go through the process 
again — walked forward and lifted the 
trophy.

HILLMON’S QUEST FOR GOLD

5B

HILLMON’S QUEST FOR GOLD

KENT SCHWARTZ / DAILY SPORTS WRITER

PHOTOS COURTESY OF USA BASKETBALL

DESIGN BY ALEX STONE

