Breanna Stewart and the United States overcame a challenging start against France, dominating the second half to secure a 97-79 victory and claim their fifth consecutive women’s FIBA World Cup title. The win extended the American streak to 36 consecutive World Cup victories, a run stretching back to the 2006 semifinals against Russia. With the triumph, the U.S. improved to a stellar 9-0 record in gold-medal games since settling for silver behind the Soviet Union in 1983. Despite the comfortable final margin, the contest proved difficult early on as the Americans fell behind by 14 points in the first half, marking one of their largest tournament deficits in recent memory. Calm resilience led by Stewart and Jackie Young narrowed the gap to two points by halftime, capped by a 3-pointer from Caitlin Clark right before the buzzer. The United States completely controlled the second half, opening the third quarter with an 11-2 run to grab a 54-47 advantage. Tournament MVP Stewart contributed four points during that decisive surge and finished the game with 22 points, while Young added 18. Although France briefly cut the deficit to 55-51, the Americans responded with a 16-3 spurt that featured two unsportsmanlike fouls called against France on a single play. Taking a 73-57 lead into the fourth quarter, the U.S. maintained control as France failed to mount another serious challenge. This roster ranked as the second-youngest fielded by the Americans at a World Cup, blending newcomers such as Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers with seasoned veterans who ultimately steered the squad to gold. Throughout the tournament, the U.S. showed more vulnerability than usual, highlighted by a narrow three-point pool-play win over Italy and a 10-point semifinal victory over Spain. Ultimately, the Americans finished right where they had for the previous four tournaments, standing atop the podium as champions. For France, the silver medal marked the program’s best-ever finish in the event following a narrow defeat to the U.S. in the 2024 Paris Olympic gold-medal game. Dominique Malonga paced France with 21 points, and Gabby Williams contributed 20. France controlled the early action, leading 20-17 after one quarter and opening the second with 11 unanswered points to build a 31-17 advantage before the American comeback took hold. In the bronze-medal match, Spain defeated host nation Germany.
Source: cbsnews.com
