U.S. Women Rally to Win Fifth Straight World Cup
The U.S. women’s basketball team came back from a 14-point deficit to beat France 97–79 in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup final in Berlin.
9/22/2026BERLIN, Germany — The U.S. women’s basketball team won its fifth FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in a row on Sunday, beating France 97–79.
France started fast and led by as many as 14 points. But the U.S. team fought back before halftime and took control in the second half. The Americans outscored France 11–2 during one important stretch and finished the third quarter ahead 73–57.
Breanna Stewart led the U.S. with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists. She was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Jackie Young also helped the team’s comeback, while Caitlin Clark made a key 3-pointer before halftime.
The U.S. roster included seven players who had not played in a major international tournament before, including Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers. The team also competed without A’ja Wilson.
The Women’s World Cup is held every four years and brings together leading national teams from around the world. This was the 20th tournament, with 16 teams taking part.
Spain finished third after defeating Germany 81–58.