US claims 12th women's basketball World Cup title with final win over France

The United States won the women's basketball World Cup for a record 12th time on Sunday, defeating France 97-79 in the final in Berlin, where France was appearing in its first-ever World Cup final.

The Americans, unbeaten at the World Cup since 2006, struggled to find their best form for much of the tournament and trailed France by two points at halftime. The turning point came in the third quarter, when the US outscored France 30-12 to seize control of the match.

Breanna Stewart led all scorers with 22 points, while Jackie Young added 18 points on the strength of four three-pointers, helping extend the US team's winning streak at the tournament to 36 consecutive matches. Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, who scored just one point in the semi-final, contributed 12 points in the final, including two crucial three-pointers late in the game.

France, seeking redemption after a one-point loss in the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medal game, played confidently in the first half and built a 14-point lead midway through the second quarter. The US responded before halftime with back-to-back threes from Young and one from Clark, cutting the deficit to two points. France's Gabby Williams, named player of the match in the semi-final win over Germany, scored 16 of her points in the first half but managed only four more afterward.

Earlier Sunday, Spain claimed the bronze medal with an 81-58 win over Germany, which had reached the tournament's final four for the first time as a unified nation. Spain's Iyana Martin top-scored with 20 points and added nine assists.