Your complete 2026 FIBA Ladies’s World Cup constructed towards Sunday’s championship sport between powerhouses in the USA and France, and the People got here away with their fifth consecutive title.
The Pink, White and Blue defended their crown with a 97-79 victory and continued their dominance of worldwide play that has seen them seize each Olympic and World Cup gold since 1996 besides the 2006 World Cup once they ended with bronze.
Breanna Stewart and Jackie Younger had been sensible, Chelsea Grey offered a steadying veteran hand, and Caitlin Clark added a set off the bench.
Something however a remaining between the USA and France would have been stunning.
In spite of everything, these two groups performed in a thriller within the gold-medal sport on the 2024 Paris Olympics. America escaped with a one-point victory in that one, however France returned to the World Cup with Gabby Williams main loads of WNBA firepower on its roster.
France additionally steamrolled all 5 of its earlier opponents on this event with a 22-point win over Germany within the semifinals as its closest sport. Sunday figured to be a frightening job for a loaded United States roster that options Napheesa Collier, Younger, Grey, Clark, Paige Bueckers, Stewart, Angel Reese and extra.
It was daunting proper from the beginning.
With Williams spearheading the assault together with her drives and out of doors capturing, France prolonged its result in double digits within the second quarter. Nevertheless, the People bounced proper again behind the trio of Stewart, Younger and Grey.
Younger caught fireplace from deep, Grey did a little bit little bit of the whole lot together with her facilitating and drives, and Stewart was a matchup downside within the lane. By the point Clark drilled a 3 within the remaining seconds earlier than intermission, the USA had minimize the halftime deficit to simply two factors and appeared to have weathered a big storm from France.
That momentum went nowhere through the break.
Veterans equivalent to Stewart, Collier and Kahleah Copper had been dominant on each ends of the ground earlier than one of many kids in Clark hit a jumper proper on the buzzer to provide the People a 16-point lead heading into the fourth.
They outscored France 30-12 within the third behind suffocating protection and a balanced scoring assault. It was the kind of efficiency one would possibly anticipate from a gaggle of WNBA stars, and Clark stored it rolling with an early three within the fourth quarter.
It reached some extent the place there was little or no drama within the fourth quarter.
Whereas it appeared like France was going handy the USA a stunning loss within the first half, the dialed up defensive stress together with the environment friendly offense with so many gamers contributing overwhelmed the challengers.
France merely did not have the depth of starpower because the People, and the outcome was the gold medal staying with the Pink, White and Blue.
