Jackie Younger fuels USA Basketball win vs Spain in FIBA World Cup semifinal

Published On: September 13, 2026

Sept. 13, 2026, 4:43 a.m. ET

The U.S. ladies’s basketball crew defeated Spain 76-66 to advance to the FIBA World Cup last.
Guard Jackie Younger got here off the bench within the fourth quarter to spark a decisive run for Workforce USA.
Younger contributed to 10 factors in the course of the crew’s 18-8 closing run towards Spain.
A victory within the last would give Younger a novel assortment of main basketball championships.

BERLIN — The USA wanted a solution heading into the fourth quarter towards Spain within the FIBA Girls’s Basketball World Cup. U.S. coach Kara Lawson studied her bench, mulling over her subsequent step. With 9:22 left within the semifinal, her crew was only one basket forward of Spain, with a 60-58 lead. Each time the Individuals had taken a step ahead, the Spaniards had a solution. That’s, till they did not.

Lawson discovered her reply, and it got here with 9:03 left within the recreation, when a 6-foot guard with Indiana roots got here off the bench and stepped onto the hardwood in Uber Area.

Simply 18 seconds into Jackie Younger’s reappearance, the pendulum started to swing towards the U.S. From the highest of the arc, Kahleah Copper discovered a wide-open Younger within the paint, who instantly discovered the web, growing the U.S. result in 62-58. This was the primary of Younger’s six factors within the last minutes of the sport, and the start of a momentum shift for the Individuals. The U.S. discovered its option to a 76-66 victory over Spain, however amongst the noise, Younger stays the one who led them; the one who directed the pendulum.

“We had been in a position to lock in and get stops on the defensive finish,” Younger stated of her crew’s fourth-quarter success. “We turned up our protection, we obtained stops, we had been executing, after which we had been in a position to make some photographs on the opposite finish.”

Successful is in Younger’s blood. If the U.S. defeats France for the gold medal Sunday evening, Younger would obtain a novel standing within the historical past of the ladies’s recreation: the primary individual to win a highschool state championship, NCAA championship (Notre Dame), WNBA title (Las Vegas Aces), Olympic 5-on-5 and Olympic 3-on-3 gold medals, and a World Cup title.

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“It’s all the time an honor getting the possibility to symbolize Workforce USA, and you already know we simply should exit sturdy and get the job completed,” Younger stated.

Spain had one recreation plan: disrupt the Individuals’ rhythm. For essentially the most half, Spain succeeded. Within the first half, the U.S. tried 27 free throws. Each offensive step by the U.S. gave the impression to be disrupted, and any tempo was troublesome to create. The U.S. possibilities had been starting to look much less and fewer promising, till the fourth quarter.

“If you don’t have it, you are attempting to get it again, after which while you get it again, you’re attempting to increase it so long as you’ll be able to,” stated Lawson. “So, I believe it was simply a part of the sport, a part of basketball. We’re not going to be good on each possession, however we discovered momentum on the proper time.”

Younger was a big a part of that momentum shift. After Younger’s first factors of the quarter with 8:45 to go, she was off. Younger discovered Breanna Stewart, who drew a foul and made each free throws, and the U.S. pulled away to 68-60 over Spain, the most important lead the U.S. had established to that time.

Moments later, Younger dribbled towards the paint, drawing Spain defenders and leaving Copper open underneath the basket. A fast bounce cross discovered Copper for the basket, bringing the rating to 72-62 with 4:09 to go.

A fast bounce shot from Spain’s Maria Conde introduced the Spaniards inside attain, 72-64. However once more, Younger supplied solutions, sinking a pullup bounce shot.

Younger remembered the phrases shared within the American huddle in the course of the fourth quarter, saying, “Simply executing on the defensive finish, deliver the vitality, staying assured, encouraging everybody. And on the finish of the day, simply attempting to execute our defensive schemes.”

Younger’s efficiency got here all the way down to protection, and in doing so she made each U.S. fan breathe a bit simpler. With 1:42 left, Younger capitalized on Maite Cazorla’s dangerous cross together with her second and most essential steal. After the turnover, 21 seconds later, a handoff from Aliyah Boston led Younger to drive into Spanish defenders and safe the layup.

“We knew what was within the line,” stated Younger. “After which simply executing what we did defensively, you already know, simply bringing the vitality, staying assured, encouraging everybody. You already know, on the finish of the day, simply attempting to execute offense and protection.”

Younger executed completely and led the U.S. when she was wanted essentially the most. She contributed to 10 U.S. factors within the 18-8 closing run. Six of her 12 factors had been scored inside a decisive span of seven:24.

The championship recreation will mark the second time a World Cup or World Championship title recreation is a rematch of the Olympic gold medal recreation two years earlier, and Younger will look to make an affect early.

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