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France and Team USA meet Sunday in Berlin for the FIBA Women's World Cup gold medal, a rematch of the one-point Olympic final in Paris — and the French, riding a 35.6-point average margin, look like the form team.

What is a key fact in this story? (1)

**Team USA** beat Spain 76-66 in Saturday's semifinal, with **Breanna Stewart** scoring 16 points; the U.S. trailed 39-36 at halftime and was tied 58-58 after three quarters before outscoring Spain 18-8 in the fourth, going 27-of-35 at the free throw line while shooting just 3-of-18 from three-point range.

What is a key fact in this story? (2)

**France** routed host Germany 86-64 in the other semifinal, with **Gabby Williams** posting 22 points and five rebounds and **Janelle Salaun** adding 14 points and 11 rebounds; France forced 25 German turnovers against just six of their own.

USA-France World Cup Final Preview: Williams, Stewart Lead Rematch — SkimNews

By ESPN · Summarized & edited by Kapil Samant · 2026-09-13

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Team USA beat Spain 76-66 in Saturday's semifinal, with Breanna Stewart scoring 16 points; the U.S. trailed 39-36 at halftime and was tied 58-58 after three quarters before outscoring Spain 18-8 in the fourth, going 27-of-35 at the free throw line while shooting just 3-of-18 from three-point range.
France routed host Germany 86-64 in the other semifinal, with Gabby Williams posting 22 points and five rebounds and Janelle Salaun adding 14 points and 11 rebounds; France forced 25 German turnovers against just six of their own.
France has been the statistical standout in Berlin, averaging 96.2 points per game on 51.6% shooting and 44.2% from three — numbers Stewart herself acknowledged with a postgame quip — while winning all five tournament games by an average of 35.6 points.
The U.S. is chasing its fifth consecutive and 12th overall World Cup gold, a streak unbroken since a 2006 semifinal loss to Russia, while France is seeking its first-ever World Cup or Olympic title.
The 2024 Paris Olympic final provides the template: the U.S. won by one point, and Williams' buzzer-beater was ruled a two-pointer because her foot was on the three-point line — the margin that kept alive the Americans' eight-Olympic-gold streak.
France's roster features 13 current WNBA players, including Williams, Marine Johannes (Liberty), and Dominique Malonga (Storm); the U.S. is missing A'ja Wilson (back) and Kelsey Plum (leg).

Why it matters: The U.S. women's 19-year unbeaten streak across Olympics and World Cups — anchored by the 2006 loss — faces its most form-tested challenger yet in a France team that has won every Berlin game by 35.6 points on average and forced 25 turnovers in the semifinal. With Wilson and Plum unavailable and the U.S. shooting 3-of-18 from three against Spain, America's path to a fifth straight gold runs straight through Les Bleues' tournament-leading 44.2% three-point shooting.