The US women’s basketball team beat Spain 76-66 in Berlin to reach the FIBA World Cup final, where they will face France in a rematch of the 2024 Paris Olympics gold-medal game.
Breanna Stewart led the United States with 16 points, while Kahleah Copper added 13 as the Americans recovered from a difficult start and secured their place in the championship match.
The result extended the United States’ World Cup winning run to 35 games, stretching back to their semi-final defeat by Russia in 2006. Victory against France would deliver a fifth successive tournament title, matching the record held by the former Soviet Union.
Spain made the stronger opening, scoring nine of the first 10 points and building a 16-9 lead. The United States responded with a 12-2 run to close the first quarter after introducing new players to the contest.
Neither side was able to establish control in the second period. Spain’s physical defence disrupted the American attack, while the United States spent much of the half at the free-throw line, making 19 of 27 attempts compared with 26 field-goal attempts.
The Americans led 39-36 at half-time but could not shake off Spain, leaving the game level at 58-58 at the start of the final quarter.
The United States then scored 12 of the first 14 points of the period to move 70-60 ahead, their biggest lead of the game with 5min 20sec remaining. Spain could come no closer than eight points thereafter.
The semi-final was the first World Cup meeting between the teams since the United States defeated Spain for gold in the 2014 tournament, when Stewart made her national-team debut.
Spain will play hosts Germany in the bronze-medal game on Sunday, while the United States and France meet for the title.
