BERLIN (AP) — Breanna Stewart had an American flag draped round her physique as she soaked within the second.
The U.S. captain delivered once more and the Individuals continued their domination of worldwide play, successful a fifth straight girls’s FIBA World Cup title with a 97-79 victory over France on Sunday.
The Individuals have received 36 straight World Cup video games, courting to the semifinals of the 2006 World Cup, the place they misplaced to Russia.
“We’re the usual,” mentioned Stewart, who scored 22 factors within the victory and earned MVP honors of the event for the second time. “USA Basketball has continued to point out up and go for gold and to have carried out that nonetheless many instances consecutively is an insane stat. We need to be sure that we proceed to construct on that normal and all people else is aware of it.”
Regardless of the ultimate rating, this sport wasn’t simple; the Individuals confronted their greatest deficit within the event since that loss to Russia once they have been down 14 factors within the first half to France. They calmly rallied behind Stewart and Jackie Younger to get inside two at halftime, with Caitlin Clark hitting a 3-pointer simply earlier than the buzzer.
“I believe we felt actually good about the place we have been at,” mentioned Clark, who completed with 12 factors. “I believe France was 8 for 14 (from 3-point vary). We dug ourself a gap, however we climbed out of it, and I felt like we have been by no means rattled by something.”
The U.S. dominated within the second half, beginning the third quarter with a 11-2 run to go up 54-47. Stewart, who has now 4 World Cup titles to her identify, had 4 factors throughout the game-changing burst.
France was in a position to get inside 55-51, however the Individuals used a 16-3 spurt that included two unsportsmanlike fouls towards France on the identical play. The Individuals have been up 73-57 heading into the fourth quarter, and France by no means was in a position to shut the hole.
“I’m actually pleased with the way in which that we let the remainder of the world know that our aim is all the time gold,” Stewart mentioned. “Simply actually proud.”
The U.S. improved to 9-0 in gold-medal video games since ending second in 1983 to the Soviet Union.
This was the second-youngest crew the Individuals have despatched to a World Cup. There have been many newcomers on the roster together with Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers, who have been taking part in for the nationwide crew for the primary time. But it surely was the veterans who carried the crew to the victory.
The Individuals had seemed extra weak on this event than at any time throughout their outstanding run. A 3-point win over Italy in pool play was the closest a crew has come to the U.S. in group stage in 50 years. The ten-point victory over Spain was the closest semifinal contest throughout the streak. The Individuals had been successful by a mean of 26 factors over the previous 4 medal-round video games.
None of that matter in the long run because the Individuals completed the identical method they’d the earlier 4 World Cup tournaments — as champions.
The loss nonetheless gave France its greatest end ever within the occasion. The French have been hoping for the highest prize after they got here shut towards the U.S. within the 2024 Paris Olympic gold-medal sport two years in the past. That one-point loss nonetheless stung two years later.
Dominique Malonga scored 21 factors and Gabby Williams added 20 for France.
“In fact we’re disillusioned proper now, however I believe we’re displaying little by little, France is a basketball nation,” Williams mentioned. “That was my aim, after I joined this crew, was to alter the tradition. Clearly we’ve larger expectations, however we’ll get there.”
France bought off to a powerful begin. The U.S. trailed 20-17 after the primary quarter and the French scored the primary 11 factors of the second, capped by Williams’ 3-pointer, to take a 31-17 lead. However the Individuals rallied and trailed 45-43 on the half on Clark’s 3 simply earlier than the buzzer.
Spain topped host Germany to win the bronze medal.
