USA vs. France: FIBA Women’s World Cup Final Showdown

The stage is set in Berlin for the rematch everyone saw coming.

Team USA and France will collide again on Sunday, Sept. 13, this time with the FIBA Women’s World Cup trophy on the line at Berlin Arena. The backdrop is familiar, the stakes just as high. Two months ago in Paris, the Americans survived a 67-66 thriller to snatch Olympic gold. Now, the same rivals meet with another dynasty run under threat.

A dynasty on the line

This is the standard for Team USA. Five straight World Cup titles are within reach, 12 overall if they finish the job. They have rolled through this tournament like a team that knows history is supposed to belong to them.

Breanna Stewart, averaging 11 points per game in Berlin, framed it plainly.

"This is our standard here with Team USA. ... Everything that we do is going to dictate what happens in tomorrow's game," she said. She knows what awaits. "There's going to be a ton of emotions in this game ... the team that really regulates that and handles that best that will have the advantage."

The Americans have navigated every kind of test over the past week. They opened with a statement win over China, 94-61, then had to grind past Italy, 55-52, in a game that reminded them that reputations don’t win tournaments. From there, they hit their stride: 105-64 over Czechia, 108-56 against Hungary in the quarterfinals, and a controlled 77-67 semifinal win over Spain.

Now comes the hardest part: finishing.

France chasing history

For France, this is uncharted territory. First World Cup final. First shot at the title. And the same giant in their path.

They pushed USA to the brink in Paris, walking into their home Olympics with a chance to end an American run of seven straight Olympic gold medals. They missed by a single point. On Sunday in Berlin, they get another swing at ending a streak — this time, the U.S. bid for a fifth consecutive World Cup crown.

"If I'm honest, we have nothing to lose," said Marine Johannes, France's second-leading scorer behind Gabby Williams. It’s not false bravado. It’s the reality of a team that has carried the underdog label all summer and leaned into it.

"We actually know they are a great team. They won every World Cup for years and years. They're really talented. We all know that," Johannes said. "We are playing with this kind of player actually all season in the W. We know how good they are, but again, it's one game, nothing to lose. We are going to play hard and we'll see what happens."

That’s the French mindset: respect the giant, then try to knock it over.

How to watch USA vs. France

Tip-off for the gold medal game is set for 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT) on Sunday, Sept. 13, at Berlin Arena in Berlin, Germany.

In the United States, TNT holds the exclusive English-language broadcast rights, with coverage also available on truTV. All games stream on HBOMax.

• Date: Sunday, Sept. 13
• Time: 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT)
• Venue: Berlin Arena (Berlin)
• TV: TNT, truTV

Earlier in the day, Germany and Spain will meet in the third-place game at 10:30 a.m. ET, also on TNT and truTV.

USA’s road to the final

Team USA’s path has been emphatic, with only one real scare:

• Friday, Sept. 4: USA 94, China 61
• Sunday, Sept. 6: USA 55, Italy 52
• Monday, Sept. 7: USA 105, Czechia 64
• Thursday, Sept. 10: USA 108, Hungary 56 (Quarterfinal)
• Saturday, Sept. 12: USA 77, Spain 67 (Semifinal)
• Sunday, Sept. 13: USA vs. France (Final)

They’ve shown depth, firepower, and the usual defensive suffocation. They’ve also shown they can wobble and still win, as Italy discovered.

France, though, is not coming to Berlin Arena for a moral victory. They’re chasing their first World Cup title, against the only opponent that truly defines what that would mean.

One game. A dynasty on one side, a breakthrough on the other. Does the American standard hold, or does Berlin become the night France finally tears it down?