Crew USA is one win away from claiming its fifth consecutive FIBA Ladies’s World Cup title.
The People will meet France within the gold medal sport on Sunday, Sept. 13, in Berlin, Germany. It will likely be a rematch of the 2024 Olympic gold medal sport in Paris, the place USA narrowly defeated France, 67-66.
“My message to the workforce is that is our customary right here with Crew USA, and It is about us. It is actually about us,” Breanna Stewart stated. “All the pieces that we do is actually going to dictate what occurs in tomorrow’s sport and ensuring that that is the primary focus − is we proceed to look inward.
“There’s gonna be a ton of feelings on this sport, and it is gonna be the workforce that basically sort of regulates that and handles that finest that can have the benefit.”
Crew USA punched its ticket to the ultimate with a 76-66 semifinal victory over Spain to increase its World Cup win streak to 35 video games.
“We bought the most important (sport) tomorrow,” Breanna Stewart stated. “We’re going for gold and that is what we’ll do.”
USA TODAY Sports activities rounded up the winners and losers from Crew USA’s semifinal win on Saturday:
Winners
USA’s Breanna Stewart
Breanna Stewart led USA with 16 factors within the win and the People wanted each final one, but it surely was Stewart’s protection that made a distinction down the stretch. Stewart bought a steal with 7:01 remaining within the fourth quarter, which result in a quick break layup for Aliyah Boston to offer USA a 66-60 lead. Stewart’s stat line was rounded out by six rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal. She had an effectivity ranking of 20, Crew USA’s finest.
“Simply proceed to do the little issues, honing in on the rebounding, ensuring that we had been attending to the offensive glass,” Stewart stated after the win. “Defensively, we picked up within the second half, however that is going to be difficult and clearly.”
Her expertise was on show. Stewart, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, is showing in her fourth World Cup, becoming a member of Sue Chicken (5) and Diana Taurasi (4) as the one American girls to make at the least 4 appearances. If USA goes on to win gold, Stewart will tie Chicken for probably the most World Cup gold medals.
USA’s Kahleah Copper
Kahleah Copper’s breakout sport of the event got here Saturday. She turned in a gritty efficiency, placing her head down and attending to the basket within the tightly-contested matchup. Copper completed with 13 factors, 4 rebounds and two assists, taking pictures 5-of-12 from the sector. Lawson had Copper on the ground down the stretch, a vote of confidence in her means to impression each side of the ball. She was pivotal in limiting Spain to eight factors within the fourth quarter.
Spain’s Iyana Martin
The FIBA Ladies’s World Cup served as Iyana Martin’s official popping out occasion. Martin was chosen No. 7 total by the Portland Fireplace within the 2026 WNBA Draft earlier this yr, however she delayed her debut to give attention to nationwide workforce obligations. The transfer proved dividends for Martin, who led Spain in scoring throughout the event with 17 factors per sport.
Saturday’s semifinal matchup towards USA was no completely different. Martin completed with a game-high 17 factors, three rebounds and three assists within the loss. 9 of Martin’s factors got here within the third quarter. The 20-year-old had many spotlight reel-worthy pictures on the day, however Martin sidestepping Jackie Younger within the second quarter to make a 3-point heave to beat the shot clock will certainly find yourself on ESPN’s Sportscenter.
Spain’s World Cup run could also be over, however Martin’s future is vibrant.
Losers
Crew Spain
Getting into Saturday’s semifinal, Spain was the underdog towards workforce USA. It may need been in a position to change that narrative, however couldn’t maintain its foot on the fuel.
Spain had misplaced its 5 earlier World Cup matches towards the U.S. by a median margin of 24 factors, together with within the 2010 semifinal. Regardless of that, Spain coach Miguel Mendez emphasised to reporters that he was getting ready his workforce to make use of that historical past as gas.
“I do not know what number of video games we have performed towards the US, but it surely’s at all times been on these sorts of huge phases. So this era must pay attention to that,” he stated. “Get pleasure from competing, take pleasure in placing them on the ropes, take pleasure in pushing them again, take pleasure in making an attempt to beat them with the respect we have now for them, however attempt to beat them.”
For the primary three quarters Spain seemed like a workforce ready to ship on its coach’s orders; getting off to a 9-1 begin to open the sport − the USA’s largest deficit of this World Cup − and tying the sport at 58 factors getting into the fourth quarter.
That each one fell aside within the last body, as Spain scored eight factors within the fourth quarter.
“We had been somewhat out of rhythm. Actually, that they had one thing to do with that,” Crew USA coach Kara Lawson stated. “We had one thing to do with that as effectively. We had been somewhat sped up ourselves. So that you’re looking for it all through the course of the sport.
“When you do not have it, you are making an attempt to get it again. After which while you get it again, you are making an attempt to increase it so long as you’ll be able to. So I feel it was simply a part of the sport, a part of basketball. We’re not gonna be good on each possession, however we discovered the momentum on the proper time.”
Spain is 0-12 towards the U.S. all-time.
USA’s 3-point taking pictures
For the event, the People are taking pictures 31.8% from deep − stunning given the variety of sharp shooters on the workforce. America has shot 28% or worst from 3-point vary in three of it is 5 World Cup matchups. The intense spots had been towards China (37.5%) to open the event and towards Hungary (52%) within the quarterfinals.
That does not precisely encourage confidence headed right into a gold medal sport towards a motivated France workforce that’s taking pictures 52% from the sector and a blistering 44.2% from deep. If the U.S. cannot get its 3-point shot to fall on Sunday, it is likely to be cooked.
Followers rooting for a chaotic event
This was the gold medal matchup that almost all of us predicted: USA vs. France in a rematch of the 2024 Olympics last. The oddsmakers out in Las Vegas thought this was the almost certainly title sport, as Crew USA and France had the highest two odds to win all of it on the 2026 FIBA World Cup.
France superior to the ultimate by defeating Germany, 86-64, Saturday behind 22 factors from Golden State Valkyries ahead Gabby Williams. In 2024, she gave Crew USA all they may deal with with 19 factors, seven rebounds and three steals. If France desires to drag off the upset this time, she’ll have to play a key position.
In the meantime, the People will want another person to step up. Within the last sport of the 2024 Olympics, A’ja Wilson led all gamers in scoring and rebounding with 21 factors and 13 boards, whereas tallying 5 blocks. The Las Vegas Aces star is not enjoying within the World Cup for well being causes.
“That is one sport to win the gold medal and the World Cup in Berlin and that is our total focus,” USA ahead Breanna Stewart stated. “And we’re gonna be certain our scout is nice and we’re locked in and able to go.
“The emotional a part of it’s actually what’s actually gonna sort of teeter groups to sort of not go their manner. And my workforce, we’re gonna be locked in. We’re gonna be very composed. Would not matter what occurs to us. We all know it is gonna be an extended sport.”
USA miscues
Self-inflicted wounds threatened to finish USA’s reign on the World Cup. The People had been attending to the free-throw line early and infrequently in Saturday’s semifinal matchup, however weren’t cashing in. USA was 27-of-35 from the free-throw line, taking pictures 77%.
“We did get to the free-throw line, however we missed greater than regular,” USA head coach Kara Lawson stated at halftime. “I really feel like we left some factors on the market on the ground.”
Ball safety was additionally a difficulty. The People had eight turnovers within the first half, resulting in eight factors for Spain. USA’s turnovers swelled to fifteen by the tip of the sport, as did Spain’s factors off turnovers (15). Crew USA had extra turnovers than assists (13) within the sport.
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This text initially appeared on USA TODAY: Breanna Stewart, lack of 3-pointers amongst USA vs. Spain winners and losers
Reporting by Cydney Henderson, Mitchell Northam, Meghan L. Corridor and Callie Fin, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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