The United States have extended their extraordinary dominance of women’s basketball after defeating France 97-79 in the final to win a fifth consecutive FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup title in Berlin, Germany. The victory further cemented the USA’s status as the dominant force in the competition, with the defending champions……
The United States have extended their extraordinary dominance of women’s basketball after defeating France 97-79 in the final to win a fifth consecutive FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup title in Berlin, Germany.
The victory further cemented the USA’s status as the dominant force in the competition, with the defending champions overcoming a spirited France side in front of 12,223 spectators at the Berlin Arena.
France stunned the Americans with a brilliant start to the final, building a 14-point lead in the first half and putting the defending champions under sustained pressure.
The USA, however, responded emphatically after the break, steadily reducing the deficit before taking control of the contest and eventually securing an 18-point victory.
Breanna Stewart led the American charge with another outstanding performance, scoring 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to record a double-double.
Her performance also secured a historic individual achievement, as Stewart was named the TISSOT Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
The award made her the first player in the history of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup to win the MVP prize twice.
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Jackie Young also played a key role in the USA’s victory, finishing the final with 18 points, six rebounds and five assists as the Americans completed another unbeaten championship campaign.
For France, the defeat was tempered by a historic silver medal. The final marked the first time the French team had reached the championship game of the Women’s Basketball World Cup.
France had previously won bronze at the inaugural edition of the competition in 1953, but their run in Berlin delivered their best-ever finish.
Gabby Williams was one of France’s leading performers throughout the tournament and was rewarded with a place in the All-Star Five alongside American stars Stewart and Young.
Spain secured the bronze medal after defeating hosts Germany 81-58 in the third-place match.
Iyana Martin produced a standout performance with 22 points to inspire Spain to their fourth medal in the last five editions of the competition.
Germany, despite missing out on the podium, also enjoyed a historic campaign. Their fourth-place finish represented the country’s best-ever result at the Women’s Basketball World Cup.
The 2026 tournament also set new records for attendance, highlighting the growing popularity of women’s basketball.
A total of 236,015 fans attended games in Berlin, surpassing the previous tournament record of 145,519 spectators set in 2022.
The new mark was achieved despite fewer games being played in the German capital, while the tournament also established a new record for average attendance, with 6,556 spectators per game.
The figures further underline the growing global appeal of the women’s game.
At the centre of another historic tournament, however, were the United States, who have now won five consecutive Women’s Basketball World Cup titles.
With Stewart making history individually and the USA extending their remarkable championship streak, Berlin provided another stage for the continued dominance of American women’s basketball.
