Last time USA didn’t win FIBA Women’s World Cup: Revisiting 2006 U.S. team that was upset by Russia

Last time USA didn’t win FIBA Women’s World Cup: Revisiting 2006 U.S. team that was upset by Russia originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The United States has embraced the spotlight in the FIBA Women’s World Cup, downing more foes than most en route to authoring up the best record in competition history.

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That run has largely been decked in gold; the Americans account for more than half of the gold medals handed out in Women’s World Cup history.

Team USA’s roster has been chocked full of starlight over the years. Contrary to popular belief, though, that group hasn’t always finished its campaigns on the top of the podium.

With that, here’s a look at the last time the Americans failed to take the stand with gold dangling around their throats.

MORE: Inside USA’s FIBA Women’s World Cup winning streak

Last time USA didn’t win FIBA Women’s World Cup

The United States women’s basketball team has claimed gold in each of its last four trips to the FIBA Women’s World Cup, cementing its status as the competition’s best-ever side.

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The last time the Americans failed to finish the tournament with a glint of gold medallion draped around their neck was in 2006. That year, Team USA fell to Russia in the semifinals, 75-68, relegating the Anne Donovan-led team to a measly appearance in the third-place game.

The U.S. started its tournament run with a flourish, sweeping aside China and Nigeria by a combined 80 points before downing that aforementioned Russian side by 10 in the group stage.

Team USA kept its run going in the quarters, dispatching Lithuania by 34. A rematch with Russia beckoned for the Americans in the semis. Given the amount of firepower present on that U.S. side — the team housed eight current or future Hall of Famers, including Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Tamika Catchings and then-Tennessee star Candace Parker — a victory was all but guaranteed.

Russia had different plans, however. The Eastern European side, made up largely of players who starred in the country’s domestic league, opened up a pair of 10-point leads in the first quarter.

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That advantage soon swelled to 20 after a third-quarter scoring flourish. The Americans battled back, with Taurasi and Parker combining for 34 points to power the U.S. comeback efforts.

Their efforts would only prove cosmetic in the end, though. Buoyed by electric shooting from deep, the Russians cut down their adversaries, securing perhaps the biggest upset in women’s basketball history in the process.

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“They came out and shot better than they had all tournament,” Donovan said postgame, per Tennessee. “This was the time when you have to step up and perform and I thought Russia did a great job with that tonight. Hats off to them. We made valiant runs a couple of times deep into the game, in the fourth quarter twice, but Russia’s lead was too great for us to come back.”

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Team USA recovered well enough to secure a bronze medal finish. But the result would prove a sour one given U.S. expectations heading into the tourney.

How many gold medals has USA women’s basketball won in FIBA World Cup?

USA women’s basketball has claimed 11 Women’s World Cup titles, five more than its closest competitor, the Soviet Union.

The U.S. has finished on the podium in all but five of its 19 trips to the tourney. The Americans last went without a medal in 1975, when they fell out of the preliminary rounds.

Here’s a full view of Team USA’s results by year: