The United States women's basketball team is one win from history. Breanna Stewart poured in 16 points and Kahleah Copper added 13 as the Americans held off a stubborn Spain side 76-66 in their FIBA World Cup semi-final, booking a spot in the championship game against France.
This was no walkover. After easing through their previous two matches, the US found themselves down 9-2 early — their biggest deficit of the whole tournament, worse than the three points they conceded to Italy in a grinding 55-52 win. Spain's physical defence disrupted the American offence all afternoon, and the game was level at 58 heading into the final quarter. A decisive 12-2 run to open the fourth put the US up 70-60, their largest lead of the night, and Spain never got closer than eight again.
The free-throw line told the story of the game: the Americans went 27-of-35 from the stripe, including 19 of 27 attempts in the first half alone, while managing just 26 field-goal attempts before the break. They led only 39-36 at halftime despite the perfect tournament record.
The stakes in the final are considerable. The US has now won 35 consecutive World Cup games dating back to a semi-final loss to Russia in 2006, and a fifth straight title would tie the former Soviet Union's record for the most consecutive championships. The opponent adds spice: France, beaten by a single point by the Americans in the gold medal game at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Saturday's semi was also the first World Cup meeting between the US and Spain since the 2014 final, which coincidentally marked Stewart's national team debut.
Spain's tournament isn't over. They drop into the bronze medal game against host nation Germany on Sunday, a chance to salvage a podium finish in front of a home crowd.
For travellers, this is a rare window to catch elite women's basketball on European soil with a storyline attached — a US team chasing a record and a French side hungry for Olympic revenge. If you're in Germany for the bronze game or the final, combine the hoops with a city break: host cities have been pulling strong local crowds, and the atmosphere around the venues has been a draw in itself. Sports fans planning a last-minute trip should check ticket availability quickly, as knockout-round games featuring the Americans have been the hottest draws of the tournament.
Even if you're watching from afar, it's worth marking the calendar: the US-France final is the highest-profile women's basketball fixture possible right now, a rematch of the tightest Olympic final in memory with a piece of history on the line.