USA Women Win Fifth Straight World Cup as Breanna Stewart Makes MVP History
The USA women won their fifth consecutive FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup championship Sunday in Berlin, beating France 97–79 after overturning a double-digit deficit. The victory delivered the program’s 12th world title and another landmark for Breanna Stewart, who became the competition’s first two-time MVP.
Stewart finished the final with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Jackie Young added 18 points, six rebounds and five assists. FIBA’s championship report confirmed the United States’ latest title, but the final score conceals how much resistance France offered before the Americans took control.
France led by 14 early in the second quarter. According to FIBA’s game recap, a late Caitlin Clark three-pointer helped trim the halftime margin to 45–43. The United States had worked back into reach, but still needed to reverse a game that had initially favored the French.
The decisive separation came after the break. The official box score shows a 30–12 American advantage in the third quarter, turning the two-point halftime deficit into a 73–57 lead. USA then outscored France 24–22 in the fourth. That third-quarter swing supplied the cushion behind an 18-point championship victory.
For Stewart, the individual honor connected two different title runs. She first won World Cup MVP in 2018, and FIBA’s award announcement identified her as the first player to earn the distinction twice. Across the 2026 tournament, she averaged 12.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists, then delivered her double-double on the biggest night.
France still left with a historic result: its first appearance in a Women’s World Cup final and its best finish in the competition. Spain defeated host Germany 81–58 for bronze. At the top, however, the American run continued. A difficult first half gave way to a commanding third quarter, extending a championship streak that now stands at five consecutive tournaments.
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