US turns back France for record 12th women’s basketball World Cup title

BERLIN, Germany — The United States won the women's basketball World Cup for a record-extending 12th time, defeating a spirited France, 97-79, thanks to an excellent second half in the final in Berlin on Sunday (Monday Manila time).

The US had been perennial red-hot favorite at this tournament and had not lost a World Cup match since 2006, but it was below its best for much of the competition.

The Americans trailed by two points at halftime to an energetic France side but turned it on when it mattered, outscoring the Europeans 30-12 in the third quarter.

American veteran Breanna Stewart once again led from the front, scoring a game-high 22 points along with 10 rebounds and four assists as she became the first player to be named World Cup MVP a second time.

"I'm really happy the way we let the rest of the world know our goal is always gold," she told reporters, while describing the country's World Cup record as "an insane stat".

Coach Kara Lawson called Stewart "the greatest winner that we've had probably".

Jackie Young hit four crucial threes and finished with 18 points to extend the US record to 36 wins in a row at the tournament.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark scored just one point in the semifinal but chipped in with some crucial buckets down the stretch, scoring 12 points, including two threes, as the Americans silenced the pro-France crowd.

"We kind of got in a little bit of a hole there," Clark told reporters of the second-quarter.

"And then we came back in and kind of dug ourselves out of it.

"That run we went on into halftime and then came out in the second half and really just dominated from there."

Playing in its first ever World Cup final, France was seeking revenge for its one-point loss in the gold medal match at the 2024 Paris Olympics. But the French lost their composure as the Americans turned on the afterburners in the second half, committing 16 turnovers.

France's Gabby Williams, the player of the match in their semifinal win over Germany, scored an impressive 16 points in the opening half but added just four more after that.

The US, huge favorite that is used to dominating World Cups and the Olympics, came into Sunday's game looking vulnerable, having come close to defeats against unheralded Italy and again against Spain in the semifinals.

No team had come within 20 points of France as they cruised into a maiden World Cup final and started strongly, ending the opening quarter with a three-point lead and running out to a 14-point gap midway through the second.

Forced to up the ante, the US fought back with Young hitting two quick-fire threes and Clark grabbing one of her own seconds before half-time, cutting France's lead to two points.

The US was far more composed after that, with Clark finding her range from the field.

The favorite took the steam out of the match in the fourth as it kept Franceat bay.

Earlier on Sunday, Spain soothed the disappointment of its narrow semifinal loss to the US by claiming bronze with an 81-58 win over Germany.

The Spanish went close to a major boilover on Saturday, pushing the heavily favored Americans all the way in their semifinal, leveling the scores at 58-58 three-quarters of the way through the match, before the US pulled away.

On Sunday, Spain was in control throughout against the spirited but limited host, which had never reached the final four of the tournament as a unified country.

Top scorer Iyana Martin was one assist away from a double-double, with 20 points while grabbing a game-best nine dimes.

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