Team USA edges Spain in fourth-quarter thriller to reach Women's World Cup final

Team USA came within a quarter of watching a twenty-year dynasty crumble. Spain had them matched stride for stride through three quarters of basketball on Saturday, and when the teams lined up for the fourth period, the scoreboard read 58-58. The Americans had been sloppy—shooting 40 percent from the field, missing three-pointers at a brutal clip, turning the ball over fifteen times. For most of the afternoon, Spain had made them look mortal. Then the Americans remembered who they were.

The final twelve minutes belonged entirely to the United States. They outscored Spain 18-8 down the stretch, pulling away to a 76-66 victory and punching their ticket to the FIBA Women's World Cup final. The win extended a streak of World Cup titles stretching back to 2006—five consecutive championships, a run that had seemed genuinely threatened before the fourth quarter began.

Breanna Stewart was the steadying force throughout. She finished with 16 points and pulled down 6 rebounds, the kind of all-around production that anchors a team under pressure. Jackie Young proved crucial in the closing minutes, scoring 6 of her 12 points in that decisive fourth quarter when the game was being decided. Kahleah Copper added 13 points. The bench contributions came from Paige Bueckers with 6 points and Angel Reese with 5. Caitlin Clark, who came off the bench as she has throughout the tournament, managed just 1 point on three missed shots, along with 1 assist and 1 rebound.

Spain had made them work for every possession. Maria Conde and Iyana Martín each scored 17 points, keeping their team competitive through the first three quarters. The Spanish team had shown they belonged on the same court as the Americans, and they nearly proved it. But when the fourth quarter arrived and the game tightened, Spain managed only 8 points while the U.S. offense finally found its rhythm.

After the game, Stewart spoke about what had shifted. The Americans had returned to basics—rebounding more aggressively, particularly on the offensive glass, and tightening their defensive assignments. Coach Kara Lawson had emphasized precision in coverage and composure under pressure at halftime, when the U.S. led by just three points. The message had landed. "Just continue to do the little things," Stewart said. "Honing in on the rebounding, making sure that we were getting to the offensive glass. Defensively, we picked up in the second half."

The path forward is clear but daunting. France awaits in the final, and Stewart made no bones about the challenge ahead. She called the French team "really tough" and acknowledged that the Americans would need to play better than they had against Spain. The shooting numbers had been ugly—3-for-18 from three-point range, 9 assists on the night. Those are not the numbers of a team playing its best basketball. But they are the numbers of a team that found a way when it mattered most, that tightened its grip in the moment the game was being decided. Stewart was already looking ahead. "This is going to be challenging, and obviously we have the biggest one tomorrow," she said. "But that's what we're here for. We're going for gold, and that's what we're going to do."