2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup: USA-France gold medal game preview

It’s the matchup everyone has been waiting to see.

The U.S. women’s basketball team’s mastery of international play was tested two years ago in Paris, during a one-point win over France in the Olympic final. In Sunday’s FIBA Women’s World Cup gold medal match (2 p.m. ET), the French hope to get their revenge.

Team USA beat Spain 76-66 on Saturday after France defeated host Germany 86-64 in Berlin. That leaves the top two teams to meet in the final. Since 1996, the United States has won every Olympic and World Cup gold except one: in the 2006 World Cup, when the Americans lost to Russia in the semifinals and took bronze.

France has been building as a national power, with 13 French players in the WNBA this season, including the Golden State Valkyries‘ Gabby Williams, who has dual citizenship and is a crucial player for Team France. She had 22 points and five rebounds Saturday.

The U.S. women had a slow start Saturday and led 39-36 at halftime. The score was tied 58-58 after three quarters. But Team USA took control in the fourth quarter, outscoring Spain 18-8. New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart had 16 points to lead the Americans, who had a big edge at the free throw line, going 27-of-35 to Spain’s 10-of-11.

Can Team USA finish the job for its fifth consecutive and 12th overall World Cup gold medal? Or will France win its first? Here’s how they match up and how each could win.

How France advanced

Voepel: Williams led four French players who scored in double figures and was also a big part of the defensive effort that forced Germany into 25 turnovers while France committed just six.

Germany trailed 25-23 after the first quarter. But France built its lead to seven at halftime, and with so many turnovers, Germany couldn’t build a sustained comeback in the second half.

Williams’ Golden State teammate Janelle Salaun had 14 points and 11 rebounds. Liberty guard Marine Johannes had 13 points, and Phoenix Mercury forward Valeriane Ayayi had 10. The French were outrebounded 41-31, but their huge turnover advantage overrode that.

The French have won their five World Cup games by an average of 35.6 points, with Saturday’s 22-point margin the closest.

Philippou: I can’t overstate how good France has looked this tournament. Though their group was not particularly strong, in the knockout rounds, the French crushed China and mostly had their way against Germany. They’ve had the best offense in Berlin, scoring 96.2 points per game, shooting 51.6% from the field and converting 44.2% of their shots from the 3-point arc — hence Stewart’s postgame comment that France is “shooting the s— out of the ball.” Those are numbers we are used to seeing from Team USA! And, of course, France’s defensive identity is its foundation. Williams has been exceptional this tournament and looks determined to will her team to a historic gold Sunday.

How the USA advanced

Voepel: As was the case in Team USA’s 55-52 victory over Italy in group play, the veterans took over to close out the win over Spain. Along with Stewart, Mercury guard Kahleah Copper (13 points) and Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young (12) scored in double figures.

The U.S. reserves contributed, though, with how they helped the Americans catch up after Spain’s hot start. Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers led the bench with six points each.

But with tensions high and the score tied going into the fourth quarter, the Americans relied on their players who have the most international experience to stay calm and make key plays in crunch time. Team USA had 15 turnovers in the game, but only one in the final quarter.

The Americans shot 40% from the field (23 of 58) and just 17% (3 of 18) from behind the arc. But their advantage at the line and their ability to hold Spain to 38% from the field (25 of 66) were enough to pull out the victory.

Philippou: The U.S. women finally found a semblance of rhythm in the fourth quarter, and it isn’t a coincidence that was when they played their best defense of the game, holding Spain to just eight points. The execution on that end seemed to carry over offensively.

U.S. coach Kara Lawson primarily leaned on her vets late, though she gave Caitlin Clark a good run in that frame, and Boston played all 10 minutes.

“We had certain things we wanted to attack, and I thought we got to those in the fourth to score,” Lawson said. “I thought defensively, it was the best we had played, from guarding the ball to guarding the ball screen to boxing out and limiting to one shot. Just every phase of defense, we were precise, and we were locked in.

“And so when we get all that going together, then we feel like we can create some separation. But our execution late, our shotmaking late, our understanding of mismatches late was all at a high level.”

How do France-USA match up? What can we take away from the Olympic meeting?

Voepel: The French have not had a close game in this World Cup, and the Americans have had two. Based on how each team’s five games in Berlin have played out so far, France has looked better. A possible advantage for the U.S. women is that they’ve had to dig deep and execute in crucial moments during their wins over Italy and Spain. So, perhaps that will help in what’s expected to be a close matchup with the French.

It has seemed as though Team USA’s offense has been feast (94 points vs. China, 105 vs. Czechia and 108 vs. Hungary), famine (55 vs. Italy) or frustrating (76 points vs. Spain, with USA taking too many bad shots and missing too many good ones). But the U.S. women are still where they expected to be against the foe they expected to face. Which Team USA offense will show up Sunday?

Looking back at the 2024 gold medal game in Paris, Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson, who is dealing with a back issue and isn’t playing in the World Cup, led the Americans with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Copper and Kelsey Plum (also out of this tournament because of a leg injury) had 12 points in that game.

Williams led France with 19 points, seven rebounds and three steals — and almost sent the game to overtime. She made a shot at the buzzer, but her foot was touching the 3-point line. That was the difference between playing an extra period for gold in Paris and leaving with a silver. It kept alive the United States’ streak of eight consecutive Olympic gold medals.

Philippou: Lawson has said the sign of a good team is one that can win even when it’s not making the shots it normally does. Still, the U.S.’s offense, at best, hasn’t been consistent this tournament, and it feels more than likely Sunday could be another tough day for the unit against Les Bleues’ defensive pressure.

“[The French] have great depth, they have great athleticism, and they found their style,” said Olaf Lange, German national team coach and current associate head coach for the Toronto Tempo. “They’re pretty much trying to jump every team with their pressure. … We know from the Paris Olympics that this is also not easy to handle for USA. They probably have the tools, but they have way less chemistry than most international or European nations.”

What could be Sunday’s X factor?

Philippou: I’m fascinated to see how the psychological element of a gold medal game plays out and to observe how pressure impacts both teams. Marine Johannes said that France feels as though it has nothing to lose, but I’m not sure I buy that. There’s clearly a desire to avenge the Olympic loss, and even some pressure to finally get French basketball on top.

“All we care about is winning,” Dom Malonga said after the quarterfinal. “The French national team has been known for years for like second place or semifinals, never all the way, even in EuroBasket, until now. I feel like we have to do it. We have to make it happen.”

France also doesn’t have as much experience in these moments as the United States. At the same time, the U.S. has six players who haven’t played at the World Cup or Olympics. And yet, the pressure the players face is to avoid being the team that ends the Americans’ run, while also, as Stewart noted, keeping emotions in check.

“[The pressure] is constant,” Stewart told ESPN. “Team USA, we haven’t lost a World Cup game since ’06. The same with the Olympics, however many gold medals in a row. It’s not bad pressure. It’s just the standard of what we do here. But it’s like, we have to know what we’re protecting and know what we’re chasing.

“You can’t shy away from it. You just have to embrace it. Like, this is the standard. This is the standard that those before me put into place, and now, we make it the standard, and we just continue to keep it.”

Voepel: The Americans could help themselves if they can hit more 3-pointers. They struggled there Saturday, and it impacted their offensive effectiveness. The United States made 12 3-pointers vs. China and Hungary, one vs. Italy, seven vs. Czechia and three against Spain.

By contrast, France has been much better from behind the arc, making at least 10 3-pointers in every game with a high of 22 (on 40 shots) in its 111-56 win over Nigeria on Monday. The Americans will need to slow down France from long range while also shooting better.

WNBA players on each roster

France WNBA players:

G Pauline Astier, New York Liberty
F Valeriane Ayayi, Phoenix Mercury
G Marine Johannes, New York Liberty
G Leila Lacan, Connecticut Sun
G Carla Leite, Portland Fire
C Dominique Malonga, Seattle Storm
F Janelle Salaun, Golden State Valkyries
G Gabby Williams, Golden State Valkyries

USA WNBA players:

F/C Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever
G Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings
G Sonia Citron, Washington Mystics
G Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
F Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
F/G Kahleah Copper, Phoenix Mercury
G Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas Aces
G Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream
F Kiki Iriafen, Washington Mystics
F Angel Reese, Atlanta Dream
F Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
G Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces