Why do the American basketball players still rule the world?
By beating France 97-79 in the final in Berlin, the USA won its fifth world title in a row. The American team thus equalled the record streak of the Soviet Union, which won every title between 1959 and 1975. In total, the American women have 12 world titles, more than any other country. The championship was held from 4 to 13 September, and 16 national teams took part in it.
The final on 13 September started badly for the favourites. France, which reached a final of a World Cup for the first time in its history, led by a margin of 14 points in the second quarter. It was the first time since 2006 that the American women had trailed by double figures at a World Cup. But even before half-time they cut the gap to two points, and won the third quarter 30-12. In the end they won comfortably, by a margin of 18 points.
The Most Valuable Player of the tournament was Breanna Stewart, who had 22 points and 10 rebounds in the final. For her it is a fourth world gold medal, with which she equalled the record of the legendary Sue Bird. The head coach Kara Lawson had a young team: seven of the 12 players were playing at a World Cup for the first time. Among them was also the star of the American league Caitlin Clark.
France, silver medallists at the Olympic Games in 2024, this time too came closest to an upset. The bronze medal went to Spain, which beat the hosts Germany in the game for third place. The German players nevertheless delighted the home crowd by reaching the semi-finals. The tournament was played in two arenas in Berlin, and the games were watched by a total of 234,004 spectators. Germany hosted the championship for the second time, after 1998. The top scorer was the Belgian Emma Meesseman, with an average of 21 points per game.
What lies behind American dominance? Most of the players have come through the strong college basketball in the USA and play in the professional league WNBA. Stewart herself, for example, has four college titles, three titles in the WNBA and three Olympic gold medals. For France and Spain, meanwhile, the next big challenge is the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.