The United States secured its place in the women’s basketball World Cup final with a hard-fought 76-66 victory over Spain on Saturday in Berlin. They will now face France in the championship game on Sunday.
Spain, competing as underdogs, gave the defending champions a stern test. The Spanish side, whose previous best result was a runner-up finish in 2014, tied the score at 58-58 heading into the final quarter. However, the experience of the 11-time world champions ultimately proved decisive, as the Americans outscored Spain by 10 points in the closing period.
Breanna Stewart led the U.S. with 16 points, while Kahleah Copper contributed 13. The win extends America’s winning streak at the tournament to 35 games, a run that dates back to a semifinal loss to Russia in 2006.
The upcoming final will serve as a rematch of the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medal game, which the United States won by a single point. When asked about the previous encounter, Stewart emphasized that the team views this as a fresh contest.
“That’s over, you know what I mean? We won that game and that game is over, and this is a completely new game tomorrow,” Stewart told reporters. “This is one game to win the gold medal in the World Cup in Berlin, and that’s our entire focus.”
It was a difficult evening for Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, who was held to just one point and committed two turnovers amidst heavy defensive pressure from Spain. Although Spain opened strong, taking an eight-point lead midway through the first quarter, the Americans settled into their rhythm during the middle periods. However, similar to their earlier matchup against Italy, the U.S. let its intensity dip, allowing Spain to rally with a 9-2 run to knot the game at halftime. With a crowd of 12,650 behind Spain and an upset seemingly possible, the Americans responded with a 12-2 run to open the fourth quarter and regain control.
In the other semifinal earlier on Saturday, France made it to the final for the first time, routing host nation Germany 86-64. Gabby Williams was instrumental for the French team, scoring a tournament-high 22 points along with five assists and four steals. The U.S.-born forward preserved France’s unbeaten record at the tournament.
Williams, who described herself as “on a mission,” told BeIN Sports, “You never know when you’ll get an opportunity like this. So I’m just going to give everything.” Teammate Marieme Badiane added that the squad is not intimidated by facing the American juggernaut.
Germany, who had reached the semifinals for the first time since 1967, stayed competitive early, trailing by only two points after the first quarter. However, France pulled away in the second half, building a 16-point lead. Despite a late surge from Germany that narrowed the margin to nine, France closed the game with a decisive 12-0 run to seal the 22-point victory.
A rematch of the Olympic gold medal game already? That sounds like commercial gold for FIBA, even if the basketball itself gets repetitive.
Thirty-five game winning streak is historic, but Spain kept it close until the fourth quarter. This shouldn’t be as easy as people think.
Does anyone else remember France blowing past Germany? Gabby Williams putting up twenty-two feels like a recipe for a tight, defensive final rematch.
I’m genuinely worried about Caitlin Clark’s struggles against heavy pressure. She needs to find a rhythm quickly or this final gets very tricky.
Breanna Stewart is absolutely unguardable right now. That 16-point performance shows why she remains the standard for American basketball excellence.