U.S. women beat France for 5th straight FIBA World Cup title

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer

BERLIN — Breanna Stewart had an American flag draped around her body as she soaked in the moment.

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The U.S. captain delivered again and the Americans continued their domination of international play, winning a fifth straight women’s FIBA World Cup title with a 97-79 victory over France on Sunday.

The Americans have won 36 consecutive World Cup games, dating to the semifinals of the 2006 tournament, where they lost to Russia.

“We are the standard,” said Stewart, who had 22 points and 10 rebounds in the victory and earned MVP honors of the tournament for the second time. “USA Basketball has continued to show up and go for gold and to have done that however many times consecutively is an insane stat. We want to make sure that we continue to build on that standard and everybody else knows it.”

Despite the final score, this game wasn’t easy; the Americans faced their biggest deficit in the tournament since that loss to Russia when they were down 14 points in the first half to France. They calmly rallied behind Stewart and Jackie Young to get within two at halftime, with Caitlin Clark hitting a 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

“I think we felt really good about where we were at,” said Clark, who finished with 12 points. “I think France was 8 for 14 (from 3-point range). We dug ourself a hole, but we climbed out of it, and I felt like we were never rattled by anything.”

The U.S. dominated in the second half, starting the third quarter with an 11-2 run to open a 54-47 lead. Stewart, who now has four World Cup titles to her name, had four points during the game-changing burst.

France was able to get within 55-51, but the Americans used a 16-3 spurt that included two unsportsmanlike fouls against France on the same play. The Americans led 73-57 heading into the fourth quarter, and France never was able to close the gap.

“I’m really happy with the way that we let the rest of the world know that our goal is always gold,” Stewart said. “Just really proud.”

The U.S. improved to 9-0 in gold-medal games since finishing second in 1983 to the Soviet Union.

This was the second-youngest team the Americans have sent to a World Cup. There were many newcomers on the roster, including Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers, who were playing for the national team for the first time. But it was the veterans who carried the team to the victory.

The Americans had looked more vulnerable in this tournament than at any time during their remarkable run. A three-point victory over Italy in pool play was the closest a team has come to the U.S. in the group stage in 50 years. The 10-point victory over Spain was the closest semifinal contest during the streak. The Americans had been winning by an average of 26 points over the past four medal-round games.

None of that mattered in the end as the Americans finished the same way they had the previous four World Cup tournaments – as champions.

The loss nevertheless gave France its best finish ever in the event. The French were hoping for the top prize after they came close against the U.S. in the 2024 Paris Olympic gold-medal game two years ago. That one-point loss still stung two years later.

Dominique Malonga scored 21 points and Gabby Williams added 20 for France.

“Of course we’re disappointed right now, but I think we’re showing little by little, France is a basketball country,” Williams said. “That was my goal, when I joined this team, was to change the culture. Obviously we have higher expectations, but we’ll get there.”

France got off to a strong start. The U.S. trailed 20-17 after the first quarter and the French scored the first 11 points of the second, capped by Williams’ 3-pointer, to build a 31-17 lead. But the Americans rallied and trailed 45-43 at the half on Clark’s 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

Spain topped host Germany to win the bronze medal.

STEWART EXTENDS WINNING TRADITION

Stewart oozes confidence on the basketball court, especially when she puts on a USA Basketball jersey.

She continued an incredible run at the World Cup. Stewart has been a part of the last four Cup titles, tying her with Sue Bird for the most in the tournament’s history.

“She is USA Basketball. When you think of the last 15 years, it’s Stewie,” U.S. coach Kara Lawson said. “We’re just really lucky to be a part of her era.”

Stewart won her second MVP award in the World Cup and averaged 12.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 55.3% from the field during this tournament.

“I pride myself on being consistently great,” Stewart said. “That’s showing up when it’s the big moments, the small moments and all the moments in between. It’s an unrealistic confidence I have in myself.”

It isn’t just in the World Cup that Stewart excels. She has already won three Olympic gold medals, three WNBA titles and four NCAA championships – where she won the Most Outstanding Player each year.

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She’s earned the respect of her all her teammates.

“Stewie’s been a tremendous leader through this whole process for us,” said Clark, who was playing in her first World Cup. “Stewie’s a winner. That’s all she is. All she ever does is win. She’s been in so many of these moments, and when you have somebody like that on your team, it’s just a really comforting thing.”

Clark said how Stewart came into the weight room after the close three-point victory over Italy and comforted some of the newcomers on the team, who were a little surprised by how tight that game had been.

“I just want you guys to know this is how it is. Don’t be intimidated by that. This is just how this goes. The games are going to be close. That doesn’t mean like you should feel defeated in any way,” Clark recalled. “I thought that was just a really good thing we needed to hear. Don’t let that bother you. These games are going to be hard.”

Stewart learned from some of the best leaders in Bird and Diana Taurasi. She’s just continued that tradition of success.

“I think sometimes you get used to seeing excellence all the time and you get complacent,” guard Chelsea Gray said. “You see the way she competes, the way she finishes the ball, the way she brings the team together. Things like this don’t happen by accident.”

FRANCE’S GABBY WILLIAMS DENIED AGAIN

Gabby Williams again did all she could only to be thwarted once more by the United States, dealing Williams and France another painful loss after the title game at the 2024 Olympics.

The U.S. won that gold medal game in Paris by a point, 67-66, after Williams’ last-second shot was just inside the 3-point line rather than outside to tie the game.

No last-second score could have salvaged anything for France on Sunday as the Americans recovered from a two-point halftime deficit with a dominant third-quarter performance – outscoring their opponents 30-12 – to effectively decide the result well ahead of time.

“I just told my teammates not to put their heads down tonight,” said Williams, who as captain was the first French player to go and congratulate the winners. “We have a lot to be proud of, but I think we’re gonna remember how this feels.”

Williams had done her best, but she couldn’t do it alone for France.

The former UConn standout scored 20 points to go with seven assists, three rebounds and three steals on Sunday, capping an outstanding tournament in which she averaged 18.7 points across her six games.

Ultimately, France could not stop Stewart, Young, Kahleah Copper (15) or Gray and Clark (both 12).

“This was an easy group to lead,” Williams said of her teammates. “It was obviously intimidating being given this role, given this pressure, but I think just with this group it was very easy. I just wanted to pour into them as much as I can and make them feel as confident, because I really do still believe in every single person on our roster. I just want them to believe in themselves.”

France coach Jean-Aimé Toupane concluded the post-game press conference by speaking of his admiration for the captain.

“She demonstrated that she had the capacity, she led this team. I’m proud of her,” Toupane said. “The whole team followed her, and she showed us the way. Now we need to come back stronger as a team.”

France started promisingly against the U.S. and began the second quarter with eight unanswered points. The U.S. called a timeout. Williams then scored a 3-pointer to put France 14 points clear and wheeled away with her right arm up in celebration.

Angel Reese looked concerned, but she didn’t need to. Clark ended the half with a 3-pointer to leave the U.S. trailing by just two points and defending champs kept going from there.

Williams had been playing it cool before the game, insisting she had “no preference” which country France faced in the final after she had led her team to a semifinal victory over host Germany. The U.S. still had to play Spain that night at Berlin Arena.

If Williams felt she had unfinished business with the U.S., she refused to acknowledge it.

No French player wanted to give the Americans any more motivation than they already had before the final, and Williams has made a point of not making her true feelings known.

“We’re not going to show weaknesses on the court, we’re not going to show doubts. If we did, our opponents would eat us alive,” she said.

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AP sports writer Ciarán Fahey contributed to this story.