USA rally past France 97-79 to retain Women’s Basketball World Cup
The United States overturned a 14-point deficit to beat France 97-79 on September 13, 2026, winning a fifth consecutive Women’s Basketball World Cup title.
In short
- The United States overturned a 14-point deficit to beat France 97-79 on September 13, 2026, winning a fifth consecutive Women’s Basketball World Cup title.
The United States beat France 97-79 in the Women’s Basketball World Cup final on September 13, 2026, recovering from a 14-point deficit to secure a fifth consecutive title.
Breanna Stewart led the Americans with 22 points, according to The Guardian’s match report. France finished with silver, its best result at the tournament.
A 21-2 French scoring run put the defending champions under pressure in the first half. The United States reduced the gap to two points by halftime, with Caitlin Clark making a three-pointer at the buzzer.
The decisive shift came in the third quarter, which the Americans won 30-12. Consecutive three-pointers from Kahleah Copper and Jackie Young helped establish a lead that France could not overturn.
The final renewed the teams’ rivalry after the United States won their gold-medal meeting at the 2024 Paris Olympics by one point. This time, the Americans created a much larger margin after the break.
Spain took bronze with an 81-58 victory over Germany earlier on September 13.
