The U.S. women’s national team has dominated international basketball for years, securing countless of gold medals at Olympics and World Cups. Nevertheless, there were some doubts going into this year’s World Cup. France had come so close to beating Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and most of its players entered the World Cup with more experience and more confidence from playing in the WNBA.
Team USA, meanwhile, arrived in Berlin with many newcomers to the international game and little chemistry and without A’ja Wilson. This seemed like the year someone might finally dethrone the U.S.—a possibility that started to look all the more realistic after Team USA escaped Cecilia Zandalasini and Italy with an ugly 55-52 win in the group phase.
However, Breanna Stewart led the USA to a 97-79 win over France for yet another gold medal. For now, the U.S. is still the team to beat, but it will have to prove it all over again in every tournament going forward.
Team USA will have to prove its dominance over and over again
Just because Team USA got another strong win this year, it doesn’t mean that they will just continue to cruise through international tournaments forever. Other teams are still building, growing and catching up and can use this tournament as learning opportunities and fuel. France’s young core of Dominique Malonga, Carla Leite, Janelle Salaün, Pauline Astier, and Leila Lacan will only continue to improve. The same goes for Spain’s Awa Fam and Iyana Martin.
Moreover, Team USA will go through a true changing of the guard soon. Stewart, Jackie Young, Kahleah Copper, and Chelsea Gray were all instrumental in the gold medal game, and Stewart took home the TISSOTT World Cup MVP award. Young is the only one in that group who is not 30 yet. They should still be able to play at a high level at the 2028 Olympics in LA, but soon enough the next generation will have to take over for good.
Once that happens, a new group of players will have to prove its dominance over and over again without players, like Stewart, who have been either the best player in several tournaments or pretty close. That transition comes with some big questions. Who will be a World Cup MVP when Stewart and Wilson are past their primes or not playing anymore? Who will be a leader on and off the court when Chelsea Gray hangs up her Team USA jersey? How will Team USA respond as the talent pool all across the world continues to grow?
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