Key takeaways:
- Breanna Stewart scored 16 points, Kahleah Copper added 13 and Jackie Young had 12 as the U.S. beat Spain 76-66.
- The U.S. extended its World Cup winning streak to 35 games and can win a fifth consecutive tournament title Sunday.
- The final against France will reprise the 2024 Olympic gold medal game, which the U.S. won 67-66.
The United States survived its toughest test of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup knockout rounds Saturday, pulling away late to beat Spain 76-66 in Berlin and reach the final for the fifth consecutive tournament.
Breanna Stewart scored 16 points and Kahleah Copper added 13 for the four-time defending champions, who were tied with Spain at 58 entering the fourth quarter before seizing control. Jackie Young added 12 points as the Americans extended their World Cup winning streak to 35 games.
The U.S. will face France on Sunday in a rematch of the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medal game, which the Americans won 67-66. The Guardian reported that France advanced by beating host Germany 86-64. Spain will play Germany for the bronze medal.
The Americans are now one win from a fifth straight World Cup title, a streak that would match the former Soviet Union for the most consecutive championships. The U.S. has not lost at the tournament since falling to Russia in the semifinals in 2006.
Spain made the defending champions work from the opening minutes. The Spanish team scored nine of the game’s first 10 points and led 13-4 midway through the first quarter. The early deficit was the largest the U.S. had faced in the tournament, surpassing a three-point deficit against Italy in a 55-52 win.
The U.S. responded when its newcomers entered the game, closing the first quarter with a 12-2 run. But the Americans never found much offensive rhythm against Spain’s physical defense.
Fouls shaped the first half. The U.S. attempted 27 free throws before halftime, making 19, while taking 26 total shots from the field. The Americans led 39-36 at the break, but Spain stayed close.
María Conde and Iyana Martín hit three-pointers early in the third quarter as Spain erased the deficit. Martín then made two free throws with 53 seconds left in the period to tie the game at 58 heading into the fourth.
Copper and Young scored to open the final quarter, and Stewart helped the U.S. build separation. The Americans scored 12 of the first 14 points in the period to take a 70-60 lead with 5:20 remaining, their largest advantage to that point. Spain got no closer than eight the rest of the way.
Young’s steal and layup made it 76-64 with 1:42 left, effectively ending Spain’s comeback bid.
Conde and Martín each scored 17 points for Spain, which held the U.S. to 40% shooting. The Americans made only three of 18 attempts from three-point range. Caitlin Clark finished with one point and missed all three of her shots from beyond the arc.
The U.S. did much of its scoring at the foul line, finishing 27 of 35 on free throws.
Saturday’s semifinal was the first World Cup meeting between the U.S. and Spain since the Americans beat Spain for the gold medal in 2014, a tournament that marked Stewart’s debut with the national team.
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