USA overwhelms France in third quarter to capture fifth straight World Cup title
Team USA beat France 97-79 in the gold-medal game of the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, played in front of 12,223 fans in Berlin, according to FIBA's official game page. The 18-point final margin belied a rocky start for the Americans, who trailed by 14 points early in the first half before storming back to claim their fifth consecutive world title and 12th overall, according to FIBA and ESPN.
Stewart's double-double seals a historic MVP
Breanna Stewart led the way with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists, a double-double that capped a tournament in which she averaged 7.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists, according to FIBA's official statistics. Jackie Young added 18 points, while Chelsea Gray offered a steadying veteran presence and Caitlin Clark provided a spark off the bench, according to Bleacher Report and Fox News' OutKick. For France, Dominique Malonga finished as the team's top scorer with 21 points and 6 rebounds.
United States (W) 97 - 79 France (W) · Coupe du Monde Féminine · 13/09/2026
| Game | PTS | REB | AST | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States (W) | Aliyah Boston | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| Paige Bueckers | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Sonia Citron | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Caitlin Clark | 12 | 1 | 3 | |
| Napheesa Collier | 6 | 7 | 1 | |
| Kahleah Copper | 15 | 1 | 1 | |
| Chelsea Gray | 12 | 4 | 5 | |
| Rhyne Howard | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Kiki Iriafen | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Angel Reese | 3 | 3 | 0 | |
| Breanna Stewart | 22 | 10 | 4 | |
| Jackie Young | 18 | 6 | 5 | |
| France (W) | Aminata Gueye | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Marine Johannès | 5 | 2 | 3 | |
| Leïla Lacan | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| Carla Leite | 5 | 1 | 1 | |
| Dominique Malonga | 21 | 6 | 0 | |
| Janelle Salaün | 7 | 4 | 1 | |
| Migna Touré | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Gabby Williams | 20 | 3 | 7 | |
| Pauline Astier | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Valériane Ayayi | 8 | 2 | 0 | |
| Marième Badiane | 7 | 1 | 0 | |
| Romane Berniès | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Stewart's performance earned her the TISSOT MVP award, making her the first player in the competition's history to win the honor twice. She first claimed it in 2018 in Tenerife, eight years before repeating the feat in Berlin, according to FIBA's official announcement.
An overwhelming third quarter flips the script
France controlled the opening stretch of the final, building a 14-point cushion in the first half that had Team USA looking uncharacteristically shaky, according to ESPN. The turning point came in the third quarter, when the Americans put together what Swish Appeal described as an "overwhelming third quarter."
That surge carried Team USA to the 97-79 final, closing out a comeback that ESPN called a rare moment of vulnerability for the program during this World Cup cycle. Malonga's 21 points and 6 rebounds led France's effort in the loss.
France's silver caps its best-ever World Cup run
The quarter-by-quarter numbers tell the story of France's collapse. The French led or matched Team USA through the first half, 20-17 in the opening quarter and 25-26 in the second, before getting outscored 30-12 in the third quarter that decided the game, then 24-22 in the fourth, according to FIBA's official game page.
Even in defeat, the result marks the best finish in French basketball history at this event. It is the country's first medal at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup since the tournament's inaugural edition in 1953, according to Olympics.com.
United States (W) 97 - 79 France (W) · Coupe du Monde Féminine · 13/09/2026
| Game | PTS | REB | AST | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States (W) | Aliyah Boston | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| Paige Bueckers | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Sonia Citron | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Caitlin Clark | 12 | 1 | 3 | |
| Napheesa Collier | 6 | 7 | 1 | |
| Kahleah Copper | 15 | 1 | 1 | |
| Chelsea Gray | 12 | 4 | 5 | |
| Rhyne Howard | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Kiki Iriafen | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Angel Reese | 3 | 3 | 0 | |
| Breanna Stewart | 22 | 10 | 4 | |
| Jackie Young | 18 | 6 | 5 | |
| France (W) | Aminata Gueye | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Marine Johannès | 5 | 2 | 3 | |
| Leïla Lacan | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| Carla Leite | 5 | 1 | 1 | |
| Dominique Malonga | 21 | 6 | 0 | |
| Janelle Salaün | 7 | 4 | 1 | |
| Migna Touré | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Gabby Williams | 20 | 3 | 7 | |
| Pauline Astier | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Valériane Ayayi | 8 | 2 | 0 | |
| Marième Badiane | 7 | 1 | 0 | |
| Romane Berniès | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Gabby Williams was central to that run. She scored 20 points in the gold-medal game, and she was named Best Defensive Player of the tournament while earning a spot on the All-Star Five, according to FIBA's official game page.
A fifth straight crown extends the American dynasty
The win stretches Team USA's streak of consecutive World Cup titles to five and pushes its all-time total to 12, from Stewart's first MVP run in 2018 to her second in Berlin.
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