Key Developments

The United States earned a hard-fought 76-66 victory over Spain on Saturday to secure a place in the FIBA World Cup final. Breanna Stewart led the American effort with 16 points, while Kahleah Copper contributed 13 points in a physically demanding contest.

Spain challenged the Americans early, opening the game on a 9-1 run. That eight-point gap represented the largest deficit the U.S. had faced throughout the tournament, surpassing a three-point deficit encountered during a 55-52 win over Italy. After falling behind 16-9, the U.S. utilized its bench to mount a 12-2 run to close the first quarter.

The second period remained tightly contested, characterized by frequent fouls against Spain's aggressive defense. The Americans attempted 27 free throws in the first half alone, converting 19, while recording 26 total field-goal attempts. The U.S. carried a narrow 39-36 advantage into halftime.

The teams entered the fourth quarter tied at 58 before the U.S. seized control. Answering with a decisive 12-2 surge, the Americans took a 70-60 lead with 5:20 remaining—their largest advantage of the game. Spain was unable to close the deficit to fewer than eight points down the stretch. The U.S. finished the game shooting 27 of 35 from the free-throw line.

Key Takeaways

  • The victory extended the United States' World Cup winning streak to 35 games, dating back to a semifinal loss to Russia in 2006.
  • The Americans now advance to play France in the final, setting up a rematch of the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medal game, which the U.S. won by a single point.
  • Spain moves to Sunday's bronze medal game, where they will face tournament host Germany.

Why It Matters

The victory puts the U.S. women within one win of capturing a fifth consecutive FIBA World Cup championship, an achievement that would match the former Soviet Union for the most consecutive tournament titles in history. The matchup against Spain was also the first World Cup meeting between the two nations since the 2014 gold medal game, which marked Stewart's senior national team debut.