It was heartbreak for the French once again as they squandered a 14-point lead against the USA in the 2026 FIBA World Cup final. For a brief moment, it seemed that Gabby Williams and Co. would succeed in their ultimate quest, but the US squad pulled off an incredible 32-point turnaround as they beat France 97-79 by a comfortable margin of 18 points. The exciting matchup remained the talking point among the fans long after the final whistle, as the French players exited the court in tears.
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Courtside 1891 posted an Instagram video showcasing the French squad after their loss to Team USA, as Marine Johannes was seen shedding tears, while Gabby Williams applauded their performance despite the loss. The team left the court with their heads held high after an intense matchup.
The contest turned midway through the third quarter. When France’s Valériane Ayayi buried a pull-up jumper with 8:21 to go, tying the score at 47–47, Les Bleues looked poised to seize control. But Breanna Stewart, leading the American side, delivered an immediate response 38 seconds later, converting a layup to reclaim a 49–47 cushion.
Stewart’s finish started a devastating American blitz: spanning from the 9:16 mark down to 1:46, the U.S. went on a 17–8 surge, dominating the glass with nine rebounds and just two turnovers. Defensively, they choked out France’s best scorers, holding them scoreless from deep and prompting three turnovers to hijack the momentum.
From being down 14 points to winning by 18, this marked a legendary 32-point net turnaround for Team USA. France threatened to turn the contest into an upset early on, crafting a commanding 31–17 cushion with 7:27 remaining before the break. But the United States made a ferocious turnaround, eventually pushing their own advantage to a game-high 27 points at 86–59 with 6:05 left in regulation.
However, the fans were not focused only on Team USA’s on-court heroics. Fans rushed to the comment section
“Marine breaks my heart!!” one fan said online, seeing the teary-eyed Marine Johannes on the court.
“Well done, girls ❤️❤️❤️You had us dreaming. THANK YOU FRANCE TEAM 🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷💙🤍❤️🙏🔥Thank you Captain Gabby and thank you Marie ❤️,” another fan paid their tribute.
Indeed, it was a fantastic tournament for the French duo of Gabby Williams and Marine Johannes. Williams finished as the World Cup’s top scorer (over six games), averaging 18.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game.
Williams gave her all to push France to victory in the final, but her 20 points were simply not enough. It was a historic tournament for her, as she surpassed Céline Dumerc to move into third place on France’s all-time scoring list in the competition, reaching over 187 career points.
Joining Williams on the offensive line was Marine Johannes. She finished as France’s second-top scorer, averaging 14 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. Williams and Johannes capped a tournament of lethal shooting for France, with the team displaying an FG% of 51.2 and a 3PT% of 44.4 over the six games.
“They should be proud and hold their heads up high. This was the first time France had made it to the finals👏🏾👏🏾👏🏼👏🏼,” one fan said, referring to the fact that France were chasing their first World Cup medal in 73 years, having last won the bronze way back in 1953.
“What a pain 💔 I longed for that gold for them so badly. Still, for me, a match doesn’t define the best team, and I’ll stick with the World Cup that France made. I loved them 💜 I came to see the United States, but I’m leaving with France, that team has a mystical ❤️ 🔥 now. I’ll follow them wherever they play 🇫🇷 ✨ 👏🏼,” one fan said.
It was hard not to get emotional after the game. The French were aiming to finally get the better of the USA, having lost the final of the 2024 Paris Olympics in a similar dramatic fashion, when Gabby Williams’ game-tying three-pointer in the dying seconds was ruled a two-point shot. France lost that game by a single point.
“Can we do like 4 years where we don’t let Americans compete in anything?” another fan said, referring to the USA’s dominant run at the World Cup. This was their 12th World Cup title, the most by any team, and fifth straight.
“Gotta give it to France, they played so well during the FIBA games, receiving the Silver Medal is no joke, be proud, ladies,” one fan said.
The French team should indeed be proud of how far they have come. With this young core, they can consistently hope to challenge for silverware in the coming years at the elite international tournaments.
For now, it’s party time for USA fans.