Team USA were the underdogs coming into the game, and after 20 minutes, France has made sure to solidify that narrative. Going into halftime, the Americans were trailing 43-45 against their European competitors after trailing by as much as 31-39 in the second quarter. Looking at the trend, it wasn’t hard to fathom a losing outcome for the Americans, and FIBA sounded an early alarm.

At the center of the Americans’ bigger problem was Gabby Williams, the same player who almost snatched the gold medal from Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympics. She came possessed in the game, ready to punish the Americans. She certainly did.

“Gabby Williams at the half with 16,” FIBA posted on its social media handle on X.

“How do you solve a problem named Gabby Williams?” read another post with a video of Williams making a reverse layup against Team USA’s defense.

Williams has arguably been the best player in this tournament. She was coming off a 22-point performance against Germany in the semifinal. Against the Americans, she picked up right where she had left off. She was shooting 45% from the field and had 3 assists.

Breanna Stewart and Chelsea Gray were the best players for Team USA. They combined for 22 of their team’s 43 points.

France has been the best team in this tournament. They were No.1 in the power ranking over the US team, after clearing the group stage with a 3-0 record. While it gives them a chance to avenge the Olympics loss, they would have certainly preferred any other team in the gold medal game.

The USA team features some of the best players in the game. If any player catches fire, they can effectively take out their opponents, and the French team knows that.

“If I’m (being) honest, we have nothing to lose,” French star and Breanna Stewart’s WNBA teammate Marine Johannès told AP News. “We actually know they are a great team. They won every World Cup for years and years. We are playing with these players all season in W(NBA) actually. We know how good they are. It’s one game, nothing to lose. We are going to play hard, and we’ll see what happens.”

The Americans are the deepest team in this World Cup. The roster features a mixture of young talent and veteran stars who have been in such tough situations before. No lead is safe against a team like that.

However, the Americans have looked more vulnerable in this World Cup than ever before. In the absence of stars like A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum, they have struggled. Today, in front of a formidable opponent, their absence is being felt.