The United States beat France 97-79 in the final of the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Berlin on Sunday, claiming the title again after France squandered a 14-point first-half lead.
France led for most of the first twenty minutes and went into halftime ahead 45-43, but a disastrous third quarter in which the French were outscored 12-30 proved decisive. The Americans never let the advantage slip again, closing out the game 97-79.
The quarter-by-quarter scoring read 20-17, 25-26, 12-30 and 22-24 in the United States' favour overall. Gabby Williams top-scored for France with 20 points, while Breanna Stewart, 32, top-scored for the Americans with 22 points and 10 rebounds and was named the tournament's most valuable player.
A tight first half turns into a rout
The final was close for long stretches. With 6.7 seconds left in the second quarter, Caitlin Clark hit a three-pointer for the United States, but France still went into the break ahead 45-43.
That advantage evaporated immediately after the interval. Dominique Malonga, France's 20-year-old, 1.98-metre centre, said the French had not come out of the locker room the right way, adding that the Americans had hit them first and that France had not been able to respond. She said the US had gone on a run France could not recover from, and that the Americans had won the physical battle and dominated France.
Malonga said it was hard, in the moment, to take satisfaction from the silver medal, though she said that once the team had had time to process the result, they would be able to appreciate what they had achieved.
Players react to silver
Valeriane Ayayi, considered the team's vice-captain, said France had played a good first half, or at least a good opening 15 minutes, before letting the Americans back into the game to leave France just two points ahead at the break. She said the US had raised their intensity in the second half while France had not, and that the Americans had simply been stronger on the night.
Ayayi said the US had played to their strengths in rebounding and transition, and that France had known that was coming but had not been able to stop it.
She said the team had wanted gold above all, and that for now they were disappointed because that was not what they had come for. She added that at some point the players would come to recognise that what they had done in the tournament was not bad, but that for the moment it was disappointment. Ayayi also called it the team's second international silver medal, saying the group had wanted better, and noted that most of the players would soon be back in the United States for the WNBA season, watching their opponents from Sunday play every day, which she said was not easy but was part of the sport.
Former France international Sandrine Gruda, working as an analyst, said the current group was a very good team that had shown things previous French sides had not been able to show, calling it magnificent progress. She said the team had the potential to win gold, and that she had found the Americans below the level they had shown in the past.
Background: a rematch of the Paris 2024 final
France also lost to the United States in the final of the Paris 2024 Olympics, in a much tighter contest that finished 67-66. Sunday's defeat extended the Americans' unbeaten run at major international tournaments, which stretches back to a semi-final loss to Russia at the 2006 World Cup.
Coached by Jean-Aime Toupane, France had dominated the tournament before the final, winning pool play by an average margin of 40.6 points, beating China by 29 in the quarter-finals and hosts Germany by 22 in Saturday's semi-final. Young players including Carla Leite, Leila Lacan, Marine Johannes and Migna Toure featured prominently through the competition alongside established figures such as Ayayi, Williams and Malonga.
The United States reached the final by beating Spain 76-66 in the semi-finals on Saturday, a game that was tied 58-58 after three quarters. Jackie Young scored 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting with 5 rebounds and 4 assists in that win, while Aliyah Boston and young WNBA stars Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark also featured in the American rotation.
Gabby Williams named to all-tournament team
Williams was named to the tournament's all-star five, one of the few bright spots for France on a difficult night.
