The United States women's basketball team has done it again — but for once, it got uncomfortable. Facing France in the FIBA World Cup final, the Americans fell behind by 14 points in the first half, their largest deficit of the entire tournament, before flipping the game and running out 97-79 winners. It's a fifth consecutive world title and, remarkably, a 36th straight World Cup win dating back to a semifinal loss to Russia in 2006.
France came out flying, leading 20-17 after the first quarter and opening the second on an 11-0 run capped by a Gabby Williams three-pointer. But the US chipped away, and a Caitlin Clark three just before the halftime buzzer cut the gap to 45-43. The third quarter settled it: an 11-2 burst put the Americans ahead, and a later 16-3 spurt — which included France drawing two unsportsmanlike fouls on a single play — made it 73-57 going into the fourth. France never threatened again.
Breanna Stewart, named tournament MVP, led the way with 22 points and picked up a fourth World Cup gold of her own. Jackie Young added 18. What makes the win more interesting is the roster around them: this was the second-youngest US World Cup squad ever, with newcomers Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers getting their first taste of national-team basketball. The veterans carried the load, but the handover is clearly underway.
The wider context shows this US team looked more human than usual. A three-point pool-stage win over Italy was the tightest group game for the Americans in 50 years, and their 10-point semifinal victory over Spain was the closest semifinal of the whole streak — they'd been winning medal-round games by an average of 26 points in recent tournaments.
For France, the silver lining is real. It's the country's best-ever finish at the World Cup, and it comes two years after a painful one-point loss to the US in the Paris 2024 Olympic final. Dominique Malonga scored 21 and Williams 20 in the final. Spain, meanwhile, took bronze by beating host Germany.
Why does this matter if you're not a basketball die-hard? Women's basketball is having a genuine global moment, with rising stars like Clark and France's Malonga drawing new fans — and with the next Olympics and World Cup cycles on the horizon, tournaments in Europe and North America are becoming genuine travel drawcards. If you're planning a sports-themed trip, keep an eye on where major women's basketball events land next; combining a city break with world-class sport is one of the better value travel hacks out there.
Story via Japan Today.