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The London Olympics were a benchmark for women, especially U.S. women. But what does that mean beyond the Games? For two team sports, the hope and expectation is their accomplishments in London will be a springboard to something more.

Winning a fifth consecutive gold medal wasn't easy for Candace Parker and the U.S. women's basketball team. It just looked that way.

She jaws at her teammates and pushes the opponent. But the U.S. women's basketball team has come to depend on Diana Taurasi's play and emotional energy.

The cruel irony of the Olympics is, if you falter, you must wait an athletic lifetime to fix it. And on Wednesday, a handful of U.S. track athletes finally found redemption.

Those who are far -- very, very far -- from medal contention still have accomplished much, Jackie MacMullan writes.

Never mind the debate between Kobe and Barkley. The U.S. women are the real Dream Team of the London Games, dispatching opponents by an average of 37.6 points a game.

Alex Morgan joined that rarefied company of athletes who deliver on the biggest stage at the biggest moment, and it was fitting she did it on a historic day for U.S. female Olympians.

An Olympic gold in the 100 meters again eluded the U.S. women Saturday night, but does that make Carmelita Jeter's silver medal any less of an accomplishment?

London may be Michael Phelps' fond farewell, but for the kid without a license (Katie Ledecky) and the girl with a closet full of overalls (Missy Franklin), the fun is just beginning.

With Gabby Douglas' all-around win Thursday, the world witnessed her meteoric rise from a young, unpredictable, unknown gymnast to a captivating world champion on the biggest stage of her sport.

Aly Raisman thought she had earned a bronze medal, until the scoreboard changed and the tiebreaker rules revealed she had instead fallen to fourth.

ESPN TV analyst Jackie MacMullan has worked at places where writing about women's sports had to happen on her own time. Now times are changing, finally - here's how to get more women's coverage.