Team USA wins once again the top women's basketball team in the world. The Americans won the FIBA World Cup by defeating France 97-79 in Berlin to claim a fifth world title and a 20-match winning streak. Breanna Stewart was the star of the game, earning Tournament MVP honors after her 22-point effort in the final — a two-time Women's World Cup TISSOT MVP — while Caitlin Clark had a pretty close-to-12-point game in a game that was played much tighter than the final score indicates.
The final was much closer than people expected it would be. France was on the offensive, and ended the first half with a 14-point advantage, the biggest margin of victory over Team USA in a World Cup since the relegation defeat to Russia in 2006. France's attack was led by its duo of Malonga and Williams who gave the French their best-ever display in a Women's World Cup with a combined 41 points.
Team USA wasn't in panic mode. Breanna Stewart led the way for the Americans and the US clawed back to within 45-43 of the lead at half time. It was in the third quarter when Team USA went on an unbeatable streak, turning the game, and putting France on its back. Then it was all downhill to double digits American domination of the game to take a 97-79 victory.
This was no vintage, blow out of the water Team USA effort: It was a victory won by making the proper adjustments in high pressure situations, and that's even more impressive considering the youth of this team.
Breanna Stewart (USA) - Stewart, who was named tournament MVP, scored 22 points in the last game of the tournament to make the US turn the corner. She could score on the inside and "stretch" the floor for Team USA when it looked as if the French front line was going to take over. The award also vaults her to the ranks of the most recent stars in Team USA's modern history, including being a two-time Women's World Cup TISSOT MVP, demonstrating that she is still the player USA Basketball wants to surround its title runs with, on this young team.
Caitlin Clark (USA) - Clark scored 12 points in the final as part of what FIBA and USA Basketball have described as the second youngest team in History to send to a World Cup. This is an indication of how fast the program is churning out talent and continuing to win at the highest level.
Jackie Young, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers (USA) - All three were instrumental in the squad that kept France scoreless over more than 40 minutes, providing the head coach with sufficient scoring and defensive options to hang around.
Dominique Malonga & Gabby Williams (France) - Malonga (21 points) and Williams (20 points) was the story of France in the tournament. This wasn't a fluke, but they took the final to signify the best World Cup performance in French women's hoops history, and put the rest of the world on notice heading into the next Olympic cycle.
It's great to win. This is another winner! USA women's basketball has become:
At the global sport tournament level, no other national program, men's or women's, in any sport maintains such a long winning streak. The latter are doing so whilst they are becoming ever younger and that should be worrying for any other nation on the FIBA list.
After the World Cup is over, it's on to FIBA World Cup qualifiers and the next Olympic qualification window. USA Basketball's depth chart is loaded and the arrival of players such as Caitlin Clark and longtime stars such as Breanna Stewart are helping to create the next generation of core players in real time. Don't be surprised to see that France (who just won bronze with Germany) and Spain and an emerging crop of rivals try to close the gap that the USA just re-opened over the next couple of years.
The USA vs France final was a good illustration of why it isn't always about the numbers when it comes to international basketball betting. But France's first-half break was a reminder that once a game gets under way, live/in-play odds can change rapidly; and the value to those waiting for the right time to bet on the US comeback was clearly much better than the pre-game moneyline.
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On September 13, 2026, USA defeated France 97-79 in Berlin.
Breanna Stewart was awarded most valuable player in the tournament, with 22 points in the final.
This marks Team USA's 5th-straight gold medal in the FIBA Women's World Cup, and their 9th gold in the last 9 World Cups since 1983.
Spain claimed bronze while host Germany suffered a defeat to the Germans.
Yes. Her 22-point performance in the '17 final earned her her second TISSOT all-time Most Valuable Player in the Women's World Cup and solidified her as the foundation of the USA's current World Cup dynasty.
Yes. Tossing a deficit of up to 14 points in the first half, Team USA's biggest underworld cup deficit since 2006, the French side rallied back for even play at the end of the first half and built a 45-43 lead in the third quarter.
On FIBA and Olympic basketball, OKBet Sports has pre-game and live bookmaking lines on team basketball, such as the Team USA total line, the Team USA/Team France moneyline, and the Team USA spread line.
