US women win fifth straight gold, rout France

LONDON (AP) -- Expected to dominate, they did. All those style points were a bonus. The U.S. women's basketball team routed France 86-50 in the final Saturday, winning their fifth straight Olympic gold medal and putting more distance between themselves and the rest of the world heading to Rio for the 2016 Games. Candace Parker scored 21 points, including eight straight during the game-changing run in the second quarter as the U.S. took command of the game. Among the Minnesota Lynx representatives on Team U.S.A. Saturday, Maya Moore had seven rebounds, Seimone Augustus had eight points, and Lindsay Whalen had three points. "It's not easy to just be put together and be expected to win a gold medal," said guard Diana Taurasi. "It's a special feeling." The win was 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. The Americans haven't just been winning, ...