France's women's basketball team beat host nation Germany 86-64 in the semifinals of the Women's Basketball World Cup in Berlin, reaching the tournament final for the first time in the team's history.
Germany kept the game close for long stretches, but France pulled away in the second half behind a dominant performance from Gabby Williams, who finished with 22 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals.
Williams scored 14 of her points in the first half alone. She was named the outstanding player of the match. Janelle Salaün added a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, and four French players finished in double figures as the team shot 50 percent from three-point range for the game.
Coach reaction
France head coach Jean-Aime Toupane, speaking to broadcaster TMC after the win, said his players had risen to the occasion and had shown it on the court. He said the team wanted the best possible medal, regardless of which opponent it faced.
An unbeaten run through the tournament
France arrived in the semifinal unbeaten. The team won its three group-stage matches against Hungary, South Korea and Nigeria as expected, then defeated China 90-61 in the quarterfinals.
That win came despite a strong showing from China's Han Xu, who is 2.05 meters tall and scored 21 points in the quarterfinal defeat. France spread the scoring load in that game too, with Marine Johannès, Janelle Salaün, Gabby Williams and Leïla Lacan all scoring between 12 and 15 points.
Germany's surprise run ends
Germany reached the semifinal as the host nation, backed by a crowd in Berlin, after upsetting Belgium 93-74 in the previous round on Thursday. That result had come as a surprise to many. Germany's run ended with the semifinal loss to France.
What comes next
France will play in the World Cup final on Sunday at 8 p.m. The opponent will depend on the other semifinal between the United States and Spain, played later Saturday. France is expected to face the United States unless Spain pulls off what would be a major upset.
A final against the United States would be a rematch of the two teams' most recent Olympic final.
