Just as you started thinking, "Oh, poor rest of the world,'' suddenly the rest of the world fought back. OK, just the Russians, actually, but you knew for this game everybody else was on their side.

	Tamika Catchings helped the U.S. team win at both ends of the floor.

The U.S. women's basketball team had advanced its way to the gold-medal game of the World Championships in China with nary a problem, winning its eight games by an average of 37.5 points.

Admit it: You didn't even set your alarm for that quarterfinal with Spain, did you?

The semifinal with Australia was tighter, 71-56. But considering the Americans had beaten the Russians 89-55 in the first game of this event, how tough could this one be?

Of course it turned out to be very tough and down to the wire. Enough to actually get your head off the pillow, wasn't it?

Maybe the most intriguing part of the Americans' 79-74 victory over Russia for gold Wednesday (morning here, night there) was that it highlighted how even the best separate themselves into subsets, such as the best of the best.

Even when Sheryl Swoopes and Lisa Leslie had no legs -- or at least no legs by their standards -- they are still the best. Even when they combine to miss more shots in one game than they typically would in a week, they are still amazing.

Like everything that's consistently great, Swoopes and Leslie are taken for granted. They're just supposed to do stuff.

When most players go to the basket at 100 mph with two defenders, you think, "I wonder if she can get a shot off?'' When Swoopes does it, you're counting the points before she even gets to the hoop.

With most post players, even the really good ones, you expect they are going to blow a 2-footer inside every once in a while. You think it's never going to happen with Leslie.

So did the U.S. offense become too reliant on Swoopes and Leslie, who finished with 18 and 17 points Wednesday? Perhaps. Easy to see how that can happen, though. For one thing, Van Chancellor coached this team a lot like he does the Houston Comets. He rode his starters hard, and they certainly dominated statistically.

For another, three other all-galaxy point-producers weren't available for the Americans in this competition: Chamique Holdsclaw, Yolanda Griffith and Tina Thompson.

Meanwhile, the Americans would not have won without the offense of Tamika Catchings (16 points) and Shannon Johnson (11 points), but it was their defense that was even more pivotal.

Do you ever find yourself shaking your head about Catchings? Do you say, "I knew she was fabulous. I just didn't fully grasp how fabulous?'' It is difficult to stand out for your effort on a team of tail-busting superstars. And yet Catchings does. Trying to project her growth potential pretty much blows your mind.

As for Johnson, she had to prove herself over the years to get this chance with the national team. She ended up being one of the key cogs.

And in the last few minutes, as the crowd in China perked up and cheered on the Russians, the players who could make the biggest plays did just that.

It isn't just a physical-ability thing, it's got to be in your head.

Afterward, Leslie was named MVP and seemed satisfied but certainly not bubbling over.

As she put it, "Now we're at a point where this is what we're expected to do, and anything less is unacceptable.''

But someday Leslie, Swoopes, Catchings, Johnson and everybody else on this team might take a look at these medals again.

And fully realize how many people don't always do what they're expected to.

Mechelle Voepel of the Kansas City Star is a regular contributor to ESPN.com. She can be reached at mvoepel@kcstar.com.