For twenty minutes, France made it seem like seventy-three years of waiting could end in gold. They went into halftime ahead, with eight three-pointers made out of fourteen and Gabby Williams controlling the game. Then came the third quarter: a 30-12 run for the United States and the final was decided. 97-79 and a fifth consecutive world title.
A dominant first half for France
Chelsea Gray opened the game with six points without a miss, but Gabby Williams' response quickly tied the score. The United States then began to stall on offense and France took advantage: a three-pointer from Valeriane Ayayi and another from Williams herself put the French ahead (17-31).
Breanna Stewart and Jackie Young kept their team in it to prevent the deficit from growing further, but French three-point accuracy and strong minutes from Janelle Salaun giving Williams rest maintained France's lead until 43-45 at halftime, cut short by a Caitlin Clark three-pointer at the buzzer.
And a third quarter that changed everything
The United States came out of the locker room with renewed energy. They contained Gabby Williams, relied on Jackie Young's accuracy, and put together a 30-12 run that turned the game around and forced Jean-Aimé Toupane to call timeout (54-47).
From there, France fell apart. The defensive intensity of Kara Lawson's team forced a succession of turnovers that opened a decisive gap before the fourth quarter (73-57).
Dominique Malonga stepped up in the final minutes, but there was no game left.
The measure of dominance
Breanna Stewart finished with 22 points and a 30 rating. Jackie Young added 18, Kahleah Copper 15, Gray and Clark 12 each. For France, Malonga scored 21 and Williams 20.
The stat that best explains what this title means is another: since the 2002 edition, the United States has won 48 of the 49 games it has played in a World Championship. Their only loss in that period came in 2006. This is their twelfth world gold medal and their fifth consecutive.
A Spanish presence in the final
There was Spanish representation on the court, though not wearing a jersey. Ariadna Chueca was part of the officiating crew for the final alongside Panamanian Julio Anaya and Latvian Gatis Salins, a recognition that came the same day the Spanish national team won bronze against Germany.