Breanna Stewart Rescues Team USA From 14-Point Hole to Claim Fifth Straight World Cup Gold

A Champion Steps Up When It Matters Most

For a moment, it looked like one of the biggest upsets in Women's World Cup history was unfolding. France seized control early, racing to a 31-17 advantage after opening the second quarter with 11 unanswered points. The United States — the most dominant program in the sport's history — was staring down a 14-point deficit in a gold medal game. Then Breanna Stewart reminded everyone why she is, as her own coach put it, USA Basketball.

Stewart's 22-point, 10-rebound, 4-assist performance helped the United States climb out of that hole against France on Sunday and win, 97-79, claiming its fifth straight FIBA World Cup gold medal. The team used a 26-14 rally to cut France's double-digit lead to only two by halftime, then in the third quarter, the Americans took over completely.

History Written in Berlin

The win was the 12th World Cup championship for the Americans and their 36th straight in the tournament, a run that dates back to a semifinal loss to Russia in 2006. The fifth straight gold tied the Soviet Union's run from 1959 to 1975 for the longest in World Cup history. A crowd of 12,233 packed the Berlin Arena to witness it.

Stewart was named tournament MVP, becoming the first player to win the award twice. She also passed Cheryl Miller for fifth place on the U.S. all-time scoring list in World Cup play with 268 points, with only Lisa Leslie, Teresa Edwards, Diana Taurasi, and Katrina McClain ahead of her. She shot 7-of-10 from the field and 8-of-9 from the free throw line — a near-flawless performance under maximum pressure.

A Young Squad That Found a Way

Nine of the 12 Americans that coach Kara Lawson brought to Berlin were making their World Cup debuts, with Stewart, Jackie Young, and Kahleah Copper the only three who had played in the tournament before. The team also played without A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum, who were ruled out on August 31 for health reasons, with Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen called up in their place — Citron making her senior national team debut in Berlin.

Jackie Young saved her best performance of the competition for the final, coming up with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Young became the first player ever to record 15 points, five assists, and five rebounds in a World Cup final. The biggest difference in the second half was how dialed in Team USA was defensively, and how much France's shooting cooled off — France hit eight threes in the first half but just three in the second.

The Legend Keeps Growing

At the senior global level, Stewart has known nothing but winning — 26 straight World Cup victories and four golds, along with 20 straight Olympic wins and three golds. At 32, she now has seven gold medals between the World Cup and Olympics. The only players in USA Basketball history with more are Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, with nine apiece, and Stewart's four World Cup golds are tied with Bird for the most in program history.

Coach Kara Lawson put it simply: "She is USA Basketball. When you think of the last 15 years, it's Stewie. And we're just really lucky to be a part of her era of this group." Stewart has already confirmed plans to play in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, competing for a fourth straight gold. With a generational player still at the height of her powers, the rest of the world may be waiting a long time for a different outcome.