Golden again: How Team USA rallied to beat France and win the World Cup
Golden again: How Team USA rallied to beat France and win the World Cup. Skip to main content Skip to navigation Golden again: How Team USA rallied to beat France and win the World CupNew York Liberty23hMichael Voepel and Alexa Philippou'Greatest winner' Stewart guides U.
What happened
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But here's how Team USA stayed on top of the world and denied France its first World Cup gold. All that history is important to illustrate how outstanding Team USA has been in the Olympics and World Cup and to show what an upset it would have been had France taken the gold Sunday. S. to fifth straight World Cup title1dAlexa PhilippouSpain beats Germany to win bronze at women's FIBA World Cup1dU. New York Liberty6dAlexa Philippou and Michael VoepelWNBA offseason 2026: Guides for every eliminated teamPortland Fire7dMichael Voepel, +3 MoreWNBA playoff schedule: League releases dates for 2026 postseasonAtlanta Dream5dESPNplayStewart after USA's FIBA World Cup title: 'Our goal is always gold' (0:58)Michael VoepelCloseMichael VoepelESPN Senior WriterMichael Voepel is a senior writer who covers the WNBA, women's college basketball and other college sports.
The wider picture
Coming in, France had been the more impressive team in the tournament, winning its five games by an average of 35. Team USA, by contrast, beat Italy in group play by three points and Spain in the semifinals by 10. S. assistant Natalie Nakase guides the WNBA's top defensive team, the Golden State Valkyries. And while Lawson relied heavily on the vets against France, what those younger players absorbed from the experience of playing for the senior national team and observing the older players is invaluable.
Team USA's last loss in a major international competition was in the 2006 World Cup semifinals to Russia. Before that, the most recent American losses were in the 1992 Olympic semifinals to what was then called the Unified Team (essentially the former Soviet Union with an interim name) and the 1994 World Cup semifinals to Brazil. While we already noted Team USA's only major competition loss in a gold medal game came in the 1983 World Cup to the Soviet Union, the Americans have one other silver medal.
S. women's national team, made an interesting point in a pregame news conference: With more international players coming to the WNBA and getting plenty familiar with the Americans, the psychological factor of being intimidated by Team USA on a World Cup or Olympic stage won't be as prevalent.
What has been reported
France lost by just one point to the United States in the 2024 Olympic final in Paris and now takes silver in the World Cup. 47 in 200-meter run at Ultimate Championship23hKerr takes Ultimate title to wrap record season1dMas, 3-time runner-up, finally wins Spanish Vuelta1dSpain beats Germany to win bronze at women's FIBA World Cup1dU. S. tops Italy, pushes World Cup win streak to 328dReport: Skater Valieva has neutral status revoked9dplayStewart after USA's FIBA World Cup title: 'Our goal is always gold' (0:58)Alexa PhilippouSep 13, 2026, 03:58 PM ETMultiple AuthorsEmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsBERLIN — For the first time in years, maybe decades, Team USA looked vulnerable entering and even during the 2026 women's basketball World Cup.
But as team captain Breanna Stewart sat in the news conference following Saturday's semifinal, previewing the final showdown against France, she exuded a quiet confidence. The team was left with just three players — Stewart, Chelsea Gray and Kahleah Copper — who'd played in a World Cup before, a tournament many say is harder to win than the Olympics. She had her fingerprints all over the France win between a crucial 12 points in the first half to keep the USA afloat and timely plays that helped the team pull away after halftime.
In the weight room after the team barely beat Italy in its second game — in what would have been one of the most shocking results the sport had seen in years — Stewart noticed several younger players had a look of "what just happened" on their faces. She shared with them how heading into the 2014 World Cup, her first, USA lost to France in an exhibition but still went on to win the tournament.
What happens next
It's not always going to be pretty. '"The team's ability to internalize her message and stay the course was crucial for the remainder of the tournament, and perhaps in no situation more than when France jumped ahead by 14 in the second quarter. It was the first double-digit deficit Team USA faced in a World Cup game since the 2006 semifinal, the program's last loss in the event. Skip to main content Skip to navigation Who is MLB's team to beat this October — and who could take them down?
Arizona Diamondbacks4dESPNFantasy baseball news: White Sox and Guardians prepare for first-place battle6hESPN FantasyMLB execs and scouts weigh in on who the teams to beat are in the National and American League this October. Follow on XMultiple AuthorsEmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsAs the 2026 MLB regular season winds down and reaches its conclusion, it's anyone's guess as to which teams will emerge as participants in this year's World Series. With that in mind, we asked a panel of 16 executives and scouts around baseball: Who are the teams to beat in each league heading into October?
San Diego Padres: 7 votes(Cubs, 4; Atlanta Braves, 2; Arizona Diamondbacks, 1) Not unlike the theory behind why our panel of voters chose the Brewers as the team to beat, the Padres' pitching staff seems like it could be the reason they make a run.
The report has been compiled by The Daily Waves using information reported across espn.com, wired.com. Details are presented according to the information available at the time of publication and may change as authorities, organisers or other relevant parties provide updates.