US Women's Water Polo Team Finishes Fourth

The U.S. women's water polo team, seeking a historic fourth consecutive Olympic gold, was defeated twice at the Paris 2024 Olympics, resulting in a fourth-place finish. The team first lost 14-13 to Australia in a semifinal penalty shootout, and subsequently fell 11-10 to the Netherlands in the bronze medal match, the latter decided by Sabrina van der Sloot's last-second goal. This marks the first time the U.S. women's team has not medaled since women's water polo was introduced to the Olympics in 2000. The team, dealing with personal adversities, including the death of captain Maggie Steffens' sister-in-law and attacker Maddie Musselman's husband battling stage 4 lung cancer, struggled to maintain their dominance. Despite leading in both matches, the U.S. team could not secure the wins, highlighting the challenges of sustaining success at the highest level. Coach Adam Krikorian and the players expressed pride in their efforts despite the heart-wrenching outcomes.