The U.S. women's basketball team secured its fifth consecutive FIBA World Cup title Sunday, defeating France 97-79 in a hard-fought final. Breanna Stewart, named the tournament's MVP, anchored the victory with a game-high 22 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists.
France mounted an early challenge, establishing a 14-point lead in the second quarter, the largest deficit the Americans faced in the tournament. However, the U.S. team rallied, closing the gap to two points by halftime. The momentum shifted decisively in the third quarter, as the Americans outscored France 30-12, fueled by Stewart's early offensive surge. She tied the game with a layup on the first possession of the second half and secured a crucial rebound.
Stewart, a four-time World Cup champion and three-time Olympic gold medalist, emphasized the team's resilience under pressure. "Our group, our starters, especially when we got down big, we didn’t crumble under pressure," Stewart said. "We know we’ve been in these games... and basketball is a game of runs."
Other key contributors for the U.S. included Jackie Young with 18 points, six rebounds, and five assists, and Chelsea Gray, who added 12 points, four rebounds, and five assists. France's offense, which had been potent throughout the tournament, faltered in the crucial third quarter, with key player Gabby Williams going scoreless in that period. Williams finished with 20 points and seven assists, while Dominique Malonga scored 21 points for France.
The victory reaffirms Team USA's status as the benchmark in women's international basketball. "USA Basketball has continued to kind of show up and go for gold," Stewart stated. "We want to make sure that we continue to build on that standard and everybody else knows it."