The United States defeated France 97-79 on September 13 in Berlin to win its fifth consecutive women's FIBA World Cup. The victory extended the American team's World Cup winning streak to 36 consecutive games.
U.S. Women Win Fifth Consecutive World Cup Basketball Title, Defeating France 97-79
The United States defeated France 97-79 on September 13 in Berlin to win its fifth consecutive women's FIBA World Cup. The victory extended the American team's World Cup winning streak to 36 consecutive games.
The U.S. trailed by 14 points in the first half, the largest deficit the team faced in the tournament. The Americans rallied to trail 45-43 at halftime on a three-pointer by Caitlin Clark just before the buzzer.
The U.S. dominated the second half, beginning the third quarter with an 11-2 run to take a 54-47 lead. The Americans' advantage grew to 73-57 heading into the fourth quarter, and France did not close the gap thereafter.
The victory improved the U.S. record to 9-0 in gold-medal games since finishing second to the Soviet Union in 1983. This was the second-youngest roster the Americans have sent to a World Cup, featuring first-time national team players including Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers.
The Americans had won their previous four World Cup tournaments by an average margin of 26 points in medal-round games. A three-point victory over Italy in pool play was the closest any team had come to the U.S. in group-stage play in 50 years, and a 10-point semifinal win over Spain was the closest semifinal contest of the winning streak.
France's second-place finish was its best result in World Cup play. The French team had narrowly lost to the U.S. by one point in the 2024 Paris Olympic gold-medal game two years prior. Spain defeated host Germany to win the bronze medal.
- The source does not state the date or year of the 2006 World Cup semifinal loss to Russia mentioned in the opening.
- The source does not provide complete roster information or identify all players who participated for either team.
- The source does not explain the circumstances or nature of the two unsportsmanlike fouls France was called for on the same play during the second-half run.