Staff USA continued its reign as probably the most dominant squad in girls’s basketball, claiming its fifth consecutive FIBA World Cup gold medal with Sunday’s assertive 97-79 win over France.
Regardless of fan and media skepticism that the Individuals had met their match with the motivated French, who had dominated the match up till the championship recreation, Staff USA proved its dynasty is in good fingers.
“There was a whole lot of noise on the market,” U.S. captain Chelsea Grey instructed TNT’s Allie LaForce postgame. “I’m fairly positive we quieted it.”
Questions began mounting round the USA’ potential to get upset properly earlier than the match tipped off in Berlin earlier this month — regardless that the nationwide staff had not misplaced a recreation in main worldwide competitors since 2006. A transitional period for the federation — marked by the World Cup debuts of younger stars like Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese — and the seeming ascendance of the French had been simply sufficient to forged doubt on Staff USA’s rule.
Final-minute harm scratches to A’ja Wilson, USA’s main scorer on the final three main tournaments, and Kelsey Plum muddied issues much more.
However when it got here time for the extremely anticipated rematch of the 2024 Olympic gold medal recreation, the USA proved but once more that it’s the normal.
“We had been prepared,” mentioned Breanna Stewart, who was named World Cup MVP for the second time in her profession. “This was a recreation we clearly wished to get to from the beginning of this match.”
STEWIE (22 PTS, 10 REB, 4 AST, 7-10 FGM) IS YOUR 2026 @FIBAWWC MVP 🔥
Breanna Stewart is the primary participant to earn MVP honors a number of occasions (2018, 2026) as she captures her fourth Ladies’s World Cup Gold!@usabasketball wins their fifth straight title!
pic.twitter.com/u4hMr1QRO4— NBA (@NBA) September 13, 2026
The gold medal recreation, and the match as a complete, wasn’t as seamless as some prior to now. As the worldwide recreation has caught up with Staff USA’s expertise, with 51 lively WNBA gamers on World Cup rosters, the Individuals had been challenged persistently.
For the primary 20 minutes of Sunday’s recreation in opposition to France, the Les Bleues made positive the U.S. felt them all over the place on the courtroom.
On protection, France’s overwhelming ball strain and passing-lane disruption prevented Staff USA from establishing any offensive rhythm. Offensively, it unloaded an unrelenting downpour from 3-point vary.
An 11-0 run by France put Les Bleues forward by 14 to start out the second quarter — the biggest deficit Staff USA has confronted in World Cup play since its 2006 semifinals loss to Russia. However the Individuals responded with a 10-2 run of their very own, sparked by a short-range jumper from Stewart off a give-and-go motion with Jackie Younger, and pulled inside two by halftime.
“I want I may let you know one thing wonderful was mentioned,” coach Kara Lawson mentioned of her halftime speech. “What we talked about was some busted coverages. We confirmed some movie on some actions that had been giving us issues. So it was extra strategic than motivational.”
Stewart divulged greater than Lawson was prepared to, sharing that their coach instructed them, “France may stick with us for 3 quarters, however by the point we get to that fourth quarter, we’re going to have the ability to bust this factor open.”
It didn’t take almost that lengthy because the U.S. emerged from the break with a ferocity that had been absent by the primary two quarters.
France got here into Sunday’s gold medal recreation beating opponents by a median of 35.6 factors, however Les Blues appeared shell-shocked when the U.S. flipped the script to start out the third quarter.
Stewart used a display from Grey to get downhill for a clear have a look at the rim, tying the sport with a layup to start out the second half. On the following play, Collier put the U.S. forward with a backdoor layup off an help from Younger. Earlier than the quarter was over, the U.S. held a 16-point lead, which it prolonged to as many as 19 within the fourth quarter.
Younger was Staff USA’s main scorer coming into the sport, averaging 11.2 factors all through the match. However Stewart was the staff’s steadying pressure all through. She completed with a game-high 22 factors and 10 rebounds en path to her fourth World Cup gold medal, becoming a member of Sue Chook with probably the most of any participant in match historical past.
5 U.S. gamers scored in double figures. Younger added 18 factors, six rebounds and 5 assists, whereas Kahleah Copper added 15 factors, Grey 12 factors and Caitlin Clark 12 factors off the bench.
“I delight myself on being persistently nice,” Stewart mentioned. “That’s displaying up when it’s the massive moments, the small moments and all of the moments in between. It’s a confidence, an unrealistic confidence that I’ve in myself particularly in these massive moments.”
France ahead 15 Gabby Williams (left) reaches on the ball as Staff USA guard Caitlin Clark drives throughout Sunday’s gold-medal recreation in Berlin. (Tobias Schwarz / AFP through Getty Pictures)
Whereas the U.S. reached a movement state on offense within the second half, Copper and Younger wreaked havoc on the defensive finish to assist the Individuals declare their twelfth total World Cup title. Howard completed with 4 steals, and Copper had one.
All three had been tasked with slowing down France’s main scorer, Gabby Williams, who was averaging 18.4 factors per recreation getting into Sunday. Williams was held scoreless within the third quarter and failed to attain once more till beneath the two-minute mark within the fourth. She completed with 20 factors because the U.S. held France to its lowest scoring output of the match. Dominique Malonga led France with 21 factors and 6 rebounds.
Lawson tightened up her rotation considerably, with Bueckers, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen all enjoying lower than three minutes apiece. Clark, Reese and guard Rhyne Howard had been the three members of the staff’s youthful cohort who received probably the most enjoying time.
Nevertheless, the training expertise for the youthful gamers is one Lawson believes will translate properly to the Olympics.
“You study each day you’re right here with USA basketball,” Lawson mentioned. “You study while you’re enjoying. You study while you’re not enjoying… I simply noticed them selecting issues up shortly. They’ve excessive intelligence. They’re extremely expert. They’re very aggressive, and so they actually wished to contribute to this staff and assist us win.”
France’s silver medal was its finest World Cup end in federation historical past and first medal since 1953 when Les Blues received bronze. Spain, which had six WNBA gamers on its roster, took dwelling bronze earlier within the day by beating Germany 81-58.
The following World Cup might be performed in Tokyo in 2030 with a modified window, operating from Nov. 26 to Dec. 8. The schedule change means there might be no overlap with the WNBA schedule because the league’s footprint continues to increase.
