If you look up the word Dominating in the dictionary you might just find - to rule or control by superior power, to rise above or the 2004 USA Women’s Softball Team.
Baseball had the Babe, Ty Cobb and Cy Young, but the US Olympic Softball team had their Bustos, Nuveman, Watley and Fernandez. Crystl Bustos powered five homers in leading the powerful squad to their third straight gold medal title. "Our whole team came together today. The pitching was phenomenal. It’s the best Olympic team I ever played on," said Bustos, a two-time Olympian. Playing behind the most dominant pitching staff in the world, Team USA out pitched, out scored and out played their competition.

The US Teams’ success was not a complete surprise. Undefeated throughout their "The Count Down to Athens tour", the USA Team was heavily favored heading into the Games. This is possibly the best softball team ever to grace the diamond. Outscoring their opponents 51-1, this incredible group of girls broke more than a dozen records in their quest for gold.

It wasn’t all a dream come true for the reigning champions as only one month before the Olympic games, Sue Candrea, the wife of Head Coach Mike Candrea, suffered a brain aneurysm while traveling with the team during the Aiming for Athens tour in Wisconsin. She died shortly after, leaving the team mourning the loss of a friend and confidant. Although Coach Candrea told the team to play these games for their country and for themselves, team leader Lisa Fernandez said many times in interviews that Sue’s death was always in the back of their minds. The team honored Sue by wearing "SC" on their batting helmets and wristbands. Sue had quit her job to travel with the team as they prepared for the trip to Athens. Mike Candrea continued to coach his team, despite his loss, claiming Sue would have wanted him to finish the task.

Team USA’s first victory was a crushing 7-0 run rule romp over Italy, where Jennie Finch allowed only one hit and Natasha Watley, called the slap-happy mistress of the 10-foot single by Sports Illustrated, went 4-for-4 to tie an Olympic record.

Facing their next opponents, the Australians, Lisa Fernandez led the team to a 10-0 second run-rule victory. Stacey Nuveman crushed the first long ball of the Games for the US squad, sending a three RBI shot over the right-centerfield fence. "The training regimen we went through in 2004 was much more strenuous and consistent, which I believe accounted for our performance," said Nuveman.

In a rematch of the 2000 gold medal game, the US faced Japan in their next pool play game, and battled into extra innings, forcing the international tiebreaker rule. Kelly Kretschman’s clutch sacrifice fly to center field scored Amanda Freed. Two more runs secured the victory. Cat Osterman had 11 strikeouts. The final score was 3-0.

Next they faced China, winning easily in a 4-0 effort. Lori Harrigan tossed the third one-hitter for the US Team while Lovieanne Jung and Jenny Topping led the hit parade.

Against Canada, Team USA secured another run rule victory, toppling their neighbors 7-0. Finch led the team with 8 strikeouts, with Fernandez and Bustos showing off their power with back-to-back homeruns.

Another shutout and run rule victory followed, with a decisive defeat over host team Greece. Fernandez took the mound and allowed only one hit while going 2-for-2 at the plate. "It’s not how you start, its how you finish," said US veteran Fernandez.

In the final pool play game, Chinese Taipei tried to break Team USA’s will without success. Winning 3 zip, the US entered the playoffs a perfect 6-0. Team USA had outscored their opponents 41-0 and held the competition to a combined .080 batting average.

In the first game of the medal round, the US faced rival Australia once again. Fernandez scored the first run to turn the tide on what had begun as a pitching duel. Kretschman provided the only homerun of the game, with RBI coming from Bustos and Nuveman. The final score was 5-0, putting them solidly in the gold medal game.

Australia refused to lie down, and after beating Japan 3-0, and handing them the bronze medal, the Aussie’s took the field against the US in the final game of the tournament. The two-time Olympic bronze medal winning Aussie’s had held back their ace, Tanya Harding, in the earlier games against the US squad hoping her previous success would once again prevail. Harding, who had defeated the US team at both the 1996 and 2000 games, gave up an opposite field boomer to Bustos in the very first inning. In the third inning, Bustos set a record for the longest homerun ever hit in Olympic competition, sending the ball over 300 feet. Nuveman also homered in the same frame. Fernandez gave up the one and only run against the US for the entire Games during the sixth inning, leading her team to a 5-1 gold medal victory.

Now that the biggest tournament of this team’s career has come to a close, the girls of Team USA are the most wanted Olympians in the country. They have appeared on David Letterman, the Today Show, ESPN’s Sports Center, ABC’s World News Tonight, the Lester Holt show, Fred Roggin’s morning sports show, Cold Pizza on ESPN, Access Hollywood not to mention gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated, the first time softball has ever received this honor. Lisa Fernandez even took aim at Tom Arnold on the Best Damn Sports Show, pitching wiffle balls at the famous host.

Where does the future lie for this team? Candrea will return to the University of Arizona, where he will once again coach one of the top teams in the country. As for the players, only Harrigan has announced her retirement. The rest of the girls are hoping to repeat their success in Beijing, China. In the meantime, they will most likely be absorbed by the National Pro Fastpitch Association or the Ladies Pro Fastpitch Association.

And the future of softball in the Olympics? The controversy still lingers as to the lasting influence this team will leave on the sport. "As to the dominance of the U.S., while it might be correct that they dominated the competition in Athens, it was still competitive for all the teams, we just need to work at bringing the level up a notch for the rest of the world, which we intend to do between now and 2006 (Women’s World) and 2008 (Beijing Olympics)," says Don Porter, President of the International Softball Federation. "I’m not sure where the media picked up this about the U.S. dominance is hurting the sport. Excellence is what the Olympics is about, this is more a European thing in that Softball is not cricket, rugby or football (soccer) and if it isn’t, it doesn’t rate as a sport in their minds," continues Porter. Only time will tell if such a dominant team will help or hurt the future of softball as an Olympic sport after the Beijing games in 2008. Until then, these names have become household words and American children have new role models to help them strive towards their goals. Congratulations Team USA!