Team USA Survives Spain Scare to Reach World Cup Final

Team USA edged Spain 76-66 in Berlin on Saturday and will face undefeated France in the FIBA Women's World Cup final on Monday.

Spain had the game tied 58-58 entering the fourth quarter, but Team USA outscored the Spanish side 18-8 in the final period to win 76-66 at Berlin Arena on September 12 and advance to the FIBA Women's World Cup final. Breanna Stewart led the Americans with 16 points and 6 rebounds, with Kahleah Copper adding 13 and Jackie Young scoring 12 with 5 rebounds, including 6 crucial points in the fourth quarter. Spain got 17 points apiece from Maria Conde and Iyana Martín, per Fox News. The win preserved a World Cup winning streak that dates back to 2006 and a 20-year tournament winning streak, and keeps alive the quest for a fifth consecutive World Cup championship.

The narrow margin was a genuine reversal of expectations for a program that has won four straight titles, and Fox News reported that Stewart said afterward that Spain had Team USA "staring straight at the end of a dynasty" for three quarters. Yahoo Sports noted that the victory looked far less convincing than anticipated and followed an earlier ugly group-stage win over Italy in which the American offense was neutralized. The outlet reported that the USA shot just 3-for-18 from three-point range against Spain, suggesting the Italian defensive blueprint was no fluke, and that the U.S. needed 35 free throw attempts to Spain's 11 to escape. Head coach Kara Lawson, per Fox News, urged her team at halftime to be "a little more precise in our coverages" and to "stay aggressive and stay calm."

Caitlin Clark once again came off the bench and finished with just 1 point, 1 assist and 1 rebound while going 0-for-3 from the field, according to Fox News, which also reported that Clark leads the team in assists entering the semifinal. Yahoo Sports reported that Clark and Angel Reese were caught on camera reacting visibly with disappointment on the bench as the starters struggled in the first quarter, after Spain jumped out to a 9-1 lead. Clark checked in with under four minutes left in the opening period as Spain led 16-11. Reese finished with five points and three rebounds in a rotational role behind the veterans, per Yahoo Sports. The site suggested the starters "simply aren't playing with the energy needed to dominate this tournament," an angle sure to fuel debate heading into the final.

Team USA now faces France in the gold medal game at Uber Arena in Berlin on Monday, September 14, a rematch of the Paris 2024 Olympic final that the Americans won by a single point. According to Before You Bet, France remain unbeaten after dismantling hosts Germany 86-64, and have been arguably the tournament's most consistent team behind suffocating perimeter defence. The same outlet reported that bookmakers have tightened the handicap to just 8.5 points, with value seen in France covering the +8.5 line. Stewart told Fox News that France is "a really tough team" and that the Americans would quickly turn the page. "This is going to be challenging, and obviously we have the biggest one tomorrow," she said. "We're going for gold, and that's what we're going to do."