BERLIN -- The excitement surrounding a possible USA-France showdown in the 2026 FIBA World Cup final has lingered in the air at Berlin's Uber Arena since the tournament began -- maybe even well beforehand as onlookers predicted a collision course between the sport's dominant dynasty and the country that was inches from forcing overtime against it in the gold medal game at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Those fans will officially get what they were hoping for: USA and France will face off for gold Sunday at 2 p.m. ET after winning their respective semifinal contests Saturday. The USA got some separation in the fourth quarter to take care of Spain 76-66, and France handled Germany 86-64.
Spain and Germany will play for bronze at 10:30 a.m. ET.
USA is playing for its fifth consecutive World Cup gold and 12th overall. France is guaranteed its first medal in the event since 1953; a gold would be the program's first at either of the two major international tournaments.
"If I'm honest, we have nothing to lose," France's Marine Johannes said. "We actually know they're a great team. They won every World Cup for years and years. They are really talented. We all know that. We are playing with these players all season in the W, we know how good they are."
France has not shied away from saying second place is no longer good enough and that they want to win the whole tournament.
The French team returns eight of 12 players from its Paris Olympics roster, the USA just five. Those returning players experienced an emotional roller coaster as USA clawed back to take the lead late, and Gabby Williams' last-ditch shot aiming to force overtime came just over the 3-point line, resulting in a one-point loss for the host nation in front of their home crowd.
"We won that game. That game is over. This is a completely new game tomorrow," said USA's Breanna Stewart, who finished with a team-high 16 points, six rebounds and two assists against Spain. "Everybody has their own things that continue to motivate them. But I think that what I'll continue to be preaching to this team is we're going to turn the page on everything. This is one game to win the gold medal in the World Cup in Berlin, and that's our entire focus."
Added Johannes: "It's one game. Nothing to lose. We are going to play hard, and we'll see what happens."
Coach Kara Lawson said Friday that any of the four teams remaining could win it all. Spain showed its chops by hanging with the Americans and even jumping out to an early 9-1 lead, USA's largest deficit of the tournament. The Americans trailed for 7:53 in the first quarter, more than it had trailed the entire World Cup entering the day.
USA eventually recovered from the slow start to take the advantage at the end of the first. But the Americans still couldn't get into much of a rhythm until the fourth quarter, finally earning their first double-digit lead of the night in large part due to better defense.
Though USA shot less than 40% from the floor for the second game this tournament, the team had a 35-11 edge in free throw attempts, making 27 of them. More than a third of USA's points came from the charity stripe.
"When it was winning time, we were the superior team, and we deserve to be moving on," Lawson said.
While USA has looked vulnerable this tournament, Les Bleues have arguably played the best of any team this tournament, outscoring opponents by an average margin of 35.6 points and boasting the best offense in Berlin. In addition to averaging 96.2 points, France is shooting 51.6% from the field and 44.2% from the 3-point arc.
Williams, one of eight WNBA players on the squad, is putting together a tournament MVP-caliber run, finishing with 22 points, five assists, five rebounds and four steals against Germany.
"They're a really, really good team," USA's Paige Bueckers said. "They've had an amazing tournament. They're a different team even from when they played at the Olympics, and they got so many weapons offensively, defensively. They play together. They're well coached, so we got our hands full."
German national team coach Olaf Lange, a longtime WNBA assistant coach and current associate head coach for the Toronto Tempo, said he thinks it's "anybody's game."
"[The French] have great depth, they have great athleticism, and they found their style," Lange said. "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.
"I do think there will be an open battle. ... If I were a betting man. I don't know where I'd put my money."
France might be looking to make history, but USA doesn't want to be on the wrong side of it either as the first USA Basketball squad to lose at the World Cup since 2006 -- the only defeat the program has experienced at either major international tournament since 1994.
"My message to the team is, this is our standard here with Team USA, and it's about us," said Stewart, who could win her fourth World Cup gold medal. "Everything that we do is going to dictate what happens in tomorrow's game, and making sure that that's the main focus as we continue to look inward.
"There's going to be a ton of emotions in this game, and it's going to be the team that really kind of regulates that and handles that best that will have the advantage. ... My team, we're gonna be locked in."
