U.S. overcomes France to win FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup for 5th consecutive time

Captain Breanna Stewart had a message for her U.S. women’s basketball teammates before the FIBA World Cup final.

“We are the standard,” she said.

Stewart led the way in reinforcing that as the Americans won a fifth consecutive World Cup by beating France 97-79, overcoming an early 14-point deficit.

France, which lost the Paris Olympic final to the U.S. by one point, led 31-17 early in the second quarter in Berlin.

Then the U.S. seized control, including a 30-12 third quarter, in the biggest game it will play between now and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, when it will seek a team sport record-extending ninth consecutive gold.

“These (other) teams are always continuing to be better, but we’re the standard,” Stewart, the tournament MVP, said on TNT after posting 22 points with 10 rebounds. “We always have been.”

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Breanna Stewart, Jackie Young lead U.S. past France

The Americans have won 36 consecutive World Cup games dating to 2006 and 72 in a row between World Cup and Olympic play.

U.S. head coach Kara Lawson, who succeeded Cheryl Reeve after the Paris Games, leaned on her veteran starting lineup for Sunday’s comeback.

Stewart, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, became the first American to have a 20-10 game in a FIBA World Cup final since Lisa Leslie in 1998.

“It starts with Stewie, her leadership,” Lawson said. “Not just tonight. Not just today. Throughout the whole tournament. Just helping to guide the younger players, talk to them, just show them what it looks like to win.”

Jackie Young, an Olympic gold medalist in 5×5 and 3×3, added 18 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Kahleah Copper added 15, while starting point guard Chelsea Gray had 12 points and five assists.

Caitlin Clark, in her first senior global championship, led the U.S. bench with 12 points. She averaged a team-leading 5.3 assists for the tournament. Lawson lauded the young reserves’ play over the six games.

“In the biggest of moments, the plays that Caitlin made, the plays that Rhyne Howard made, the plays that Angel Reese made,” she said. “Aliyah Boston, how great was she last night (in the semifinals) and tonight? So now you have those experiences, and now you have the confidence when you get in a tournament like this again to continue to help us win.”

Lawson predicted before the tournament that it would be more difficult than any past World Cup to win given the increased international depth.

U.S. tested en route to FIBA World Cup title

The U.S. passed all of its tests.

First in a three-point win over Italy in group play, its closest World Cup victory since its last defeat in the 2006 semifinals.

The U.S. and Spain were tied after three quarters in Saturday’s semifinals before the Americans pulled away, 76-66.

Then it was France, a team with the second-most WNBA players in this tournament (eight), including Gabby Williams, an All-Star for the Golden State Valkyries. Williams scored 16 first-half points Sunday, then was held to 1-of-7 shooting in the second half.

“There was a lot of noise out there,” Gray said on TNT. “I’m pretty sure we quieted that a little bit.”

The Americans won their six games by an average of 26 points, doing so without the world’s best player.

A’ja Wilson, the reigning Olympic, World Cup, WNBA and WNBA Finals MVP, withdrew in the week leading up to the start of the tournament for health reasons.

Lawson noted that seven of the 12 U.S. players were in their first global championship in 5×5.

“This wasn’t your typical USA Basketball team,” she said. “I think it just shows the strength of our federation and, really, the strength of our players.”