While Team USA started the game aiming to win their fifth consecutive World Cup title, they had to go through their most formidable opponent in recent memory. France nearly sent the 2024 Olympic gold medal game into overtime, and in this edition of the World Cup had looked even more dominant than the defending champions.
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That dominance continued as France took a 14-point lead in the first half, and it looked like the USA’s hopes for their 12th gold medal were in jeopardy, before the Americans responded, erasing the lead and dominating the second half.
“They just punched France in the face. Everything just changed there. But it was just a level of activity, and it all started with [Breanna Stewart] and Jackie Young. And then it just becomes contagious,” WNBA legend Tina Charles said on TNT Sports.
“Ryan Howard comes in, creates a couple of turnovers. They’re able to score off of it. Then [Napheesa Collier] gets going, Kahleah Copper gets going. Caitlin Clark comes in making shots. It just became a contagious effect.”
Stewart led Team USA with 22 points, shooting 7-of-10 from the field. She also had 10 rebounds and 4 assists in just over 30 minutes in the game. The New York Liberty star was hot in the game from the start, and her energy proved to be contagious for her teammates.
Jackie Young, who was the team’s leading scorer before the gold medal game, also added 18 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in the game. Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, and Caitlin Clark added 15, 12, and 10 points, respectively.
The Americans trailed by as many as 14 points in the second quarter. It finally started to seem like the French had decoded Team USA on both ends. But the US team started to recover in the last few minutes of the second quarter. Within four minutes after France took the lead, Young and Stewart scored the next 14 points for their team, combined, and cut the lead to five points.
In the next few minutes, Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark, and Chelsea Gray scored baskets and cut the lead to just two points. The Americans finally unleashed their offense and punished the French team at both ends of the floor in the third quarter. In the next 10 minutes, the Americans outscored their opponents by 18 points, six more points than what France had scored in the quarter.
Despite Gabby Williams’ 16-point first half, Team USA stayed in the game. They won the game 97-79 and broke France’s hope for a gold medal. They proved that the road to the mountaintop still goes through them, and they are not ready to let anyone pass them.
“But it’s just so great to see that they were able to maintain that level of standard, that level of excellence. That’s what I’m so proud of,” Charles added.
The US team’s win over France was more than just the depth that any American basketball team comes with. It was a testament to their determination and will to win the game when most fans counted them out. Moreover, they also proved something that cannot be replaced: the championship pedigree. While Team USA featured some of the brightest young stars in the league, the strategic inclusion of veterans gave them the advantage over any team.
Stewart won the tournament MVP and her fourth gold medal at the FIBA World Cup. She is now tied with Sue Bird for the most gold medals won by a player in FIBA history. Jackie Young won Player of the Game.
Moreover, it was also a big win for Team USA head coach Kara Lawson. She was targeted by fans and analysts for her lineup choices since the start of the tournament. Despite continued backlash, Lawson stuck with her veteran stars and trusted them to make the right plays. On Sunday, her veterans bailed her out when the going got tough for her team. All of her veterans in the starting lineup delivered and gave momentum to the game when her team needed it.