Women show some vulnerability ahead of LA Games capturing 5th straight World Cup basketball title

The U.S. women’s basketball team captured its fifth straight FIBA World Cup title on Sunday, beating France 97-79 in Berlin. After group-stage wins that weren’t fully convincing, including a three-point victory over Italy and a tight semifinal versus Spain, the Americans showed vulnerability—most notably falling behind by 14 in the first half of the final, their largest deficit since the 2006 World Cup loss to Russia. Breanna Stewart scored 22 points and was named tournament MVP for a record second time. The U.S. rallied late in the first half and pulled away in the third quarter, with Caitlin Clark adding 12 points. With younger stars gaining experience, the next decade is again expected to be U.S.-heavy.