Current:Home > MarketsUS wheelchair basketball team blows out France, advances to semis-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
US wheelchair basketball team blows out France, advances to semis
View Date:2024-12-24 07:52:54
PARIS — Success has followed Steve Serio throughout his U.S. Paralympic career. He’s earned two gold medals and a bronze over his four Paralympic Games playing for the wheelchair basketball team.
Serio plans to wrap up his Paralympic career in Paris. He had no shame in sharing that news, either. He’s helped lead the Americans to a semifinal berth — one win away from the gold-medal game. But it won’t be the medals or the wins that Serio remembers, it will be the little things.
Spending time with teammates in the cafeteria, enjoying the Paralympic village, having fun on team bus rides and building relationships with his teammates. Those are the things he will miss when his Paralympic career is over.
“I've actually taken the time to appreciate living in the moment a little bit more than I have in the past,” Serio said.
Serio’s final Paralympic Games are off to a great start. The Americans solidified themselves as the top team in Group B after going undefeated. It continued with a quarterfinal win on Wednesday.
2024 Paris Olympics: Follow USA TODAY’s coverage of the biggest names and stories of the Games.
Serio dropped 13 points on 43% shooting from the field as the U.S. defeated France 82-47, on Tuesday night. It was Serio’s younger counterparts who have stolen the show in the Paris Games.
Jake Williams led the way on Tuesday with 23 points followed by Brian Bell’s 20 points. Both are two-time Paralympians, flanked by rookies like Jorge Salazar who scored 13. The future is bright for the U.S. wheelchair basketball program, and it is exciting for Serio.
“I'm very jealous that those athletes get a chance to compete in L.A.,” Serio said. “I would love to compete on my home soil, but it's an honor to share the court with them and to watch them grow over the course of these Paralympics.”
Enjoying a host-country crowd
Trevon Jenifer, a four-time Paralympian for the U.S., got visible goosebumps just talking about the French crowd on Tuesday. Despite a dominating, blowout victory for the Americans, the crowd remaining loud and lively over the entire 40 minutes.
“It gets you rocking and rolling,” Jenifer said. “In my four quads that I've been in, I've had the opportunity to play each country in their home and it is the best, best feeling ever.”
It was an environment that rivaled the best that Jenifer and Serio played in.
“When you're in an environment like that, you have to feed off of it,” Serio said. “That was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I want to thank the people of Paris for coming out and supporting the Paralympic athletes. That arena was one of the most fun arenas I've ever played in.”
The U.S. jumped out to an early 6-0 lead to open the game, allowing for some room for error. The French responded with a 7-0 run to open the second quarter, igniting an already raucous crowd and forcing a U.S. timeout at the 6:55 mark. From there, it was all America the rest of the way.
Serio called Tuesday the world’s coming out party, noting the strangeness of the Tokyo Games without the crowd. The coming-out party doubles as his last Games, one that features his loved ones in the stands.
“Every [Paralympic] Games has their own personality,” Serio said. “... This is the chance for friends and family to be in the stands and share this moment with us, and we're not taking it for granted. It's been a real honor to play in front of them.”
veryGood! (926)
Related
- Princess Kate makes rare public appearance after completing cancer chemo
- Judge rejects claims that generative AI tanked political conspiracy case against Fugees rapper Pras
- NHL Star Johnny Gaudreau, 31, and His Brother Matthew, 29, Dead After Biking Accident
- Illinois man convicted in fatal stabbing of child welfare worker attacked during home visit
- Kid Rock tells fellow Trump supporters 'most of our left-leaning friends are good people'
- Botic van de Zandschulp stuns Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets in second round of US Open
- Catholic diocese sues US government, worried some foreign-born priests might be forced to leave
- Michigan's Sherrone Moore among college football coaches without a signed contract
- 'SNL' stars jokingly declare support for Trump, Dana Carvey plays Elon Musk
- Michigan's Sherrone Moore among college football coaches without a signed contract
Ranking
- Prosecutors say some erroneous evidence was given jurors at ex-Sen. Bob Menendez’s bribery trial
- A tumultuous life, a turn toward faith and one man who wonders if it’s time to vote
- Defending champion Novak Djokovic is shocked at the US Open one night after Carlos Alcaraz’s loss
- Artem Chigvintsev Previously Accused of Kicking Strictly Come Dancing Partner
- Bo the police K-9, who located child taken at knifepoint, wins Hero Dog Awards 2024
- Who Is Paralympian Sarah Adam? Everything to Know About the Rugby Player Making History
- Patrick Mahomes Says Taylor Swift Has Been “Drawing Up Plays” for Kansas City Chiefs
- 'So sad': 15-year-old Tennessee boy on cross-country team collapses, dies on routine run
Recommendation
-
Hurricane-stricken Tampa Bay Rays to play 2025 season at Yankees’ spring training field in Tampa
-
The haunting true story behind Netflix's possession movie 'The Deliverance'
-
Navajo Nation adopts changes to tribal law regulating the transportation of uranium across its land
-
Who Is Paralympian Sarah Adam? Everything to Know About the Rugby Player Making History
-
West Virginia governor-elect Morrisey to be sworn in mid-January
-
Are banks, post offices, UPS and FedEx open on Labor Day? Here's what to know
-
As Mike McCarthy enters make-or-break year, unprecedented scrutiny awaits Cowboys coach
-
Olivia Rodrigo and Boyfriend Louis Partridge Enjoy Rare Date Outing at 2024 Venice Film Festival