United States Overcomes France with Dominant Second Half to Claim 12th Women’s Basketball World Cup

The United States women’s basketball team secured a record-extending 12th FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup title on Sunday, displaying second-half dominance to defeat a competitive French squad 97-79 in the championship game in Berlin.

The triumph in the German capital stretched the extraordinary World Cup winning streak of the Americans to 36 consecutive games. The perennial tournament heavyweights have not suffered a single defeat on the World Cup stage since 2006, reaffirming their long-standing supremacy at the pinnacle of international women's basketball.

Despite the final scoreline, the journey to the top of the podium was far from straightforward for the reigning champions. The Americans had looked unusually vulnerable throughout several stages of the tournament, but they ultimately summoned their championship composure when the gold medal was on the line.

The decisive moment came immediately following the halftime intermission, when the United States flipped the momentum of the contest entirely. After entering the break trailing by two points, the Americans engineered a devastating 30-12 run during the third quarter to seize complete control of the final.

Leading the charge for the United States was veteran forward Breanna Stewart, who once again stepped up as the focal point of the American offense. Stewart delivered a game-high 22 points, attacking the French interior and pacing the squad through their critical second-half surge.

Complementing Stewart's inside scoring was Jackie Young, who provided elite perimeter marksmanship throughout the afternoon. Young converted four critical three-pointers on her way to an 18-point performance, repeatedly punishing the French defense whenever defensive rotations left space open outside the arc.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark also played a pivotal role in shifting the tide in favor of the defending champions. After enduring a difficult semifinal in which she managed to score just one point, Clark bounced back impressively in the final by tallying 12 points, including two vital three-pointers, and supplying essential scoring down the stretch.

For France, reaching the gold medal game represented a milestone achievement as the team competed in its first-ever World Cup final. The French squad entered Sunday’s encounter brimming with confidence, having dominated earlier rounds of the tournament without allowing any opponent to come within 20 points of them.

The showdown in Berlin also offered the French team an opportunity to seek sporting revenge against the United States. France had suffered a heartbreaking one-point defeat to the Americans in the gold medal match at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and entered the Berlin final motivated to reverse that outcome.

France seized the early momentum, led by forward and team captain Gabby Williams, who carried over the exceptional form that had earned her player of the match honors in their semifinal victory over tournament hosts Germany. Williams produced an explosive first-half display, scoring 16 points to put the Americans under intense pressure.

With Williams dictating the flow of the game, France ended the opening quarter with a three-point cushion before expanding their advantage to as much as 14 points midway through the second quarter. The American side found itself on the back foot, facing one of its steepest deficits in recent tournament history.

Faced with a burgeoning deficit, the United States mounted a determined counterattack late in the second quarter. Young sank two rapid three-pointers to ignite the American offense, while Clark drilled a clutch triple just seconds prior to the halftime horn, reducing France’s lead to a narrow 44-42 margin at the break.

The second half told a completely different story as the American defense clamped down and drained the life out of France’s offensive system. French composure unraveled under intense pressure, and Williams was largely neutralized, managing to score only four additional points across the final two quarters to finish with 20.

In the fourth quarter, the United States methodically managed the game and maintained a comfortable cushion. Clark found her rhythm from the field, allowing the Americans to drain the remaining drama from the contest and comfortably hold off any lingering French comeback attempts.

The hard-fought championship capped a demanding campaign for the United States, who had rarely looked at their absolute best during the preliminary and knockout stages. The Americans had survived unusually close challenges from an unheralded Italian team and were pushed to the limit by Spain in the semifinals before finding their elite form in the second half of the final.

Earlier on Sunday, Spain bounced back from their narrow semifinal loss against the Americans by securing the bronze medal, defeating host nation Germany 81-58 in a one-sided third-place playoff.