The USA Women’s National Team is world champion again. Team USA beat France 97-79 in the gold medal game of the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup at Berlin Arena, capturing the program’s 12th World Cup title overall and its fifth in a row.
With 12 gold medals, the USA now has twice as many as any other country. The old Soviet Union is next with six. The five straight titles match a run only the USSR pulled off before, from 1959 to 1975. The win also pushed the program’s World Cup winning streak to 36 straight games.
France gave the Americans everything they could handle early. The French hit eight three pointers in the first half and led 31-17 after a 13-0 run to open the game. The USA fought back behind veterans Jackie Young, Breanna Stewart and Chelsea Gray, and trailed just 45-43 at halftime after a Caitlin Clark three pointer with three seconds left, the narrowest halftime margin in World Cup history.
The USA carried that momentum into the second half. A 15-2 run gave the Americans the lead for good on a Stewart layup with 7:43 left in the third quarter. After allowing 45 points in the first half, the USA held France to just 34 points the rest of the way while scoring 54 of their own.
Stewart was named tournament MVP. She finished with a game high 22 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists, becoming just the third player ever to record a 20 point, 10 rebound game in a World Cup final. It is her fourth World Cup title, tying her with Sue Bird for the most by any American, and she is now 26-0 all time in World Cup play. Five Americans scored in double figures, with Young adding 18 points, Kahleah Copper 15, Clark 12 and Gray 12.
Young had a night of her own. She scored in double figures in every game of the tournament and hit a tournament best 13 points in the first half alone. She finished with 18 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists, the first player to record 15 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in a Women’s World Cup final. Young is also the first basketball player, man or woman, to win a high school state title, an NCAA title, a WNBA title, a 5×5 Olympic gold medal, a 3×3 Olympic gold medal and a FIBA World Cup gold medal.
Nine players won their first World Cup title in Berlin, including Aliyah Boston, Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron, Clark, Napheesa Collier, Rhyne Howard, Kiki Iriafen, Angel Reese and Young.
Head coach Kara Lawson also made history. She is the first coach in USA Basketball history to own head coaching gold medals at both the 3×3 and 5 on 5 levels. Assistant coaches Natalie Nakase, Nate Tibbetts and Stephanie White won their first gold medals in Berlin.
tags: Women’s Basketball, FIBA, Caitlin Clark, Breanna Stewart
