BERLIN – The names on the back of the jerseys change, but the United States still boasts the preeminent national team in women’s basketball. Team USA erased a 14-point second quarter deficit to overtake France, 97-79, in the gold medal game of the FIBA World Cup on Sunday in front of more than 12,000 at Berlin Arena. The victory marks an unthinkable five-straight gold medals in the World Cup and 12 overall for the U.S.
With a younger roster and injuries to long-time key players, some believed this might be the Americans’ time to give up the trophy for the first time since 2006. However, despite a grinding three-point win over Italy in the group stage and a close semifinal with Spain, Team USA prevailed once more.
“We had seven first-time players on the national team,” U.S. coach Kara Lawson said. “We had nine playing in the World Cup for the first time. This wasn’t your typical USA Basketball team. It shows the strength of our federation, and it shows the strength of our players. In the biggest moments, they continue to play their best. That is such an incredible quality- a quality not a lot of people have. These players deserve all of the credit.”
Lawson also noted how the younger players learned each game as the event progressed. She adjusted rotations and actions so the players felt comfortable. The team blended with chemistry from the players on the court to the staff scouting from the stands.
Even with the youth movement, the national team’s ultimate weapon was a familiar face. Breanna Stewart added her second World Cup MVP to her trophy case. She paced Team USA in the event with 12.8 points and 12.6 rebounds per game, plus added 22 and 10 in the final. She is now the only player with two World Cups MVP, as she also won at Tenerife in 2018.
“I pride myself on being consistently great,” Stewart said. “It shows up in the big moments and the small moments and all of the moments in between. It’s like a confidence- an unrealistic confidence that I have in myself. I believe that I have a chance to win, no matter what happens in the game. I hope that rubs off on my teammates.”
Stewart now has four World Cups, to go along with three Olympic gold medals, four national championships at UConn, and three WNBA titles. In addition, she owns an Under-17 World Cup, two Under-19 World Cups, two different junior FIBA Americas championships, and three EuroLeague wins, including one earlier this year. The 14 total between the Olympics, World Cup, NCAA, and WNBA are one less than what former teammates and UConn alumna Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi each accomplished.
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Lawson added that her favorite attribute about Stewart is her willingness to do whatever it takes to help the team. She plays each position, and she even played point guard in the final. Lawson is the fourth different coach to lead Stewart to the World Cup title. She has one of basketball’s most-impressive resumes, as well. Winning the gold medal as a player in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, advising the 3×3 team to Olympic gold in Tokyo and assisting Cheryl Reeve in the Paris Games are just a few of her bullet points.
“What makes Kara such a great coach is she has the player’s perspective,” Stewart added. “She’s been a pro. She was playing in the WNBA when I started. She had this one-dribble left three pointer. I remember. To get to know her and see how she has continued to grow and develop in her coaching world and how it’s different as a player, so I think building that relationship with each coach, but specifically now with Kara has been really cool, and I just treasure those moments. We both know how important this is. I am really happy to have done it with her and hopefully, we can continue.”
In addition to Stewart, Kahleah Copper and Chelsea Gray earned their second World Cup titles. Napheesa Collier and Jackie Young add the gold medal to the one they captured at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Young was voted the Player of the Game for the final with 18 points, six rebounds and five assists, and she was also the only American player to score in double figures in all six World Cup games. According to USA Basketball, she is also the only player to ever win championships at the high school, NCAA and WNBA levels, plus the Olympic 3×3, Olympic 5×5 and World Cup gold medals.
More heartbreak for France
France had not won a medal at the World Cup since earning bronze at the inaugural event in 1953 at Chile. Nearly the entire team returned from the one that fell to the Americans at the buzzer in the Paris Olympics. There had not been a rematch of the Olympic final in the ensuing World Cup final since the U.S. defeated Yugoslavia in 1990. Gabby Williams was third in the World Cup with more than 18 points per game and was the captain of the team.
“I told my teammates to not put their heads down tonight,” Williams said. “We’re going to remember how this feels and use this for motivation. This was an easy group to lead. It was intimidating given this pressure, but it was easy. I just wanted them to believe in themselves.”
National pride on the line
The win for the U.S. didn’t come on just any weekend. It came at a time when the national conscience paused to remember the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. It is also the 250th anniversary of the nation’s independence.
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“Being a part of USA Basketball for so long, there is a great pride in it,” Lawson said when asked about 9/11. “From when I was 17 years old until now, being a part of it in different capacities (I have pride). I don’t know if there is anyone prouder than I am to represent the U.S. than I am in this capacity. I felt the presence of the U.S. here in Europe. We’re proud to be Americans and represent USA. Unity is not just exclusive to the women’s basketball community, but we are creating unity across our country. People are proud of how we play and how we represent the red, white and blue.”
Lawson and the players will be in the spotlight again in two years when the Olympics return to Los Angeles. Team USA will be searching for its ninth-consecutive gold medal – a streak that began when it hosted the 1996 Atlanta Games.
“This is our standard here with Team USA,” Stewart added “It’s all about us. It’s been a quick two weeks, but a great two weeks, knowing everybody is just thinking about the team. That in itself is the most special part of it. Everyone’s first time is special.”
