EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsIt's the matchup everyone has been waiting to see.The U.S. women's basketball team's mastery of international play was tested two years ago in Paris with a one-point win over France in the Olympic final. In Sunday's FIBA Women's World Cup gold-medal match (2 p.m. ET), the French hope to get their revenge.Team USA beat Spain 76-66 on Saturday after France had defeated host Germany 86-64 in Berlin. That leaves the top two teams to face off. Since 1996, the United States has won every Olympic and World Cup gold except one: in the 2006 World Cup, when the Americans lost to Russia in the semifinals and took bronze.France has been building as a national power, with 13 French players in the WNBA this season. That includes the Golden State Valkyries' Gabby Williams, who has dual citizenship and is a crucial player for Team France. She had 22 points and five rebounds Saturday.The U.S. women had a slow start Saturday and led 39-36 at halftime. The score was tied 58-58 after three quarters. But Team USA took control in the fourth quarter, outscoring Spain 18-8. New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart had 16 points to lead the Americans, who had a big edge at the free throw line, going 27-of-35 to Spain's 10-of-11.Now can Team USA finish the job for its fifth consecutive and 12th overall World Cup gold medal? Or will France win its first? Here's how they match up and how each could win.How France advancedVoepel: Williams led four French players who scored in double figures and was also a big part of the defensive effort that forced Germany into 25 turnovers. That was the key stat, as France had just six turnovers.Germany trailed 25-23 after the first quarter. But France built its lead to seven at halftime and with so many turnovers, Germany couldn't build a sustained comeback effort in the second half.Williams' Golden State teammate Janelle Salaun had 14 points and 11 rebounds. Liberty's Marine Johannes had 13 points, and the Phoenix Mercury's Valeriane Ayayi had 10. The French were outrebounded 41-31, but their huge turnover advantage overrode that.The French have won their five World Cup games by an average of 35.6 points, with Saturday's 22-point margin the closest.Philippou: I can't overstate how good France has looked this tournament. Though their group was not particularly strong, in the knockout rounds the French crushed China and mostly had their way against Germany. They've had the best offense in Berlin, scoring 96.2 points per game, shooting 51.6% from the field and converting 44.2% of their shots from the 3-point arc -- hence Stewart's postgame comment that they are "shooting the s--- out of the ball." Those are numbers we are used to seeing from Team USA! And of course, France's defensive identity is its foundation. Williams has been exceptional this tournament and looks determined to will her team to a historic gold on Sunday.How the USA advancedVoepel: As was the case in Team USA's tight 55-52 victory over Italy in group play, the veterans took over to close out the win over Spain. Along with Stewart, the Mercury's Kahleah Copper (13 points) and the Las Vegas Aces' Jackie Young (12) scored in double figures.The USA reserves did contribute, though, with how they helped the Americans catch up after Spain's hot start. The Indiana Fever's Aliyah Boston and Dallas Wings' Paige Bueckers led the bench with 6 points each.But with tensions high in a tie game going into the fourth quarter, the Americans relied on their players who have the most international experience to stay calm and make key plays at crunch time. Team USA had 15 turnovers in the game, but only one in the final quarter.The Americans shot 40% from the field (23 of 58) and just 17% (3 of 18) from behind the arc. But their advantage at the line and their ability to hold Spain to 38% from the field (25 of 66) was enough to pull out the victory.Philippou: That fourth quarter was finally when the U.S. women could find a semblance of rhythm, and it isn't a coincidence that was when they played their best defense of the game, holding Spain to just eight points. The execution on that end seemed to carry over offensively.U.S. coach Kara Lawson primarily leaned on her vets late, though she gave Caitlin Clark a good run in that frame and Boston played all 10 minutes."We had certain things we wanted to attack, and I thought we got to those in the fourth to score," Lawson said. "I thought defensively it was the best we had played from guarding the ball to guarding the ball screen to boxing out and limiting to one shot. Just every phase of defense, we were precise and we were locked in."And so when we get all that going together, then we feel like we can create some separation. But our execution late, our shot making late, our understanding of mismatches late was all at a high level."How do France-USA match up? What can we take away from the Olympic meeting?Voepel: The French have not had a close game in this World Cup while the Americans have had two. Just based on how each team's five games in Berlin have played out so far, France has looked better. A possible advantage for the U.S. women is that they've had to dig deep and execute in crucial moments during their wins over Italy and Spain. So perhaps that will help in what's expected to be a close matchup with the French.It has seemed like Team USA's offense has been feast (94 points vs. China, 105 vs. Czechia and 108 vs. Hungary), famine (55 vs. Italy) or frustrating (76 points vs. Spain, with USA taking too many bad shots and missing too many good ones). But the U.S. women are still where they expected to be against the foe they expected to face. Now which Team USA offense will show up Sunday?Looking back on the 2024 gold medal game in Paris, the Las Vegas Aces' A'ja Wilson -- who is dealing with a back issue and isn't playing in the World Cup -- led the Americans with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Copper and Kelsey Plum (also out of this tournament with a leg injury) had 12 points in that game.Williams led France with 19 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals -- and almost sent the game to overtime. She made a shot at the buzzer, but her foot was touching the 3-point line. That was the difference between playing an extra period for gold in Paris and leaving with a silver. It kept alive the United States' streak of eight consecutive Olympic gold medals.Philippou: Lawson has said the sign of a good team is one that can win even when it's not making the shots it normally does. Still, USA's offense at best hasn't been consistent this tournament, and it feels more than likely Sunday could be another tough day for the unit against Les Bleues' defensive pressure."[The French] have great depth, they have great athleticism, and they found their style," said Olaf Lange, German national team coach and current associate head coach for the Toronto Tempo. "They're pretty much trying to jump every team with their pressure. ... We know from the Paris Olympics that this is also not easy to handle for USA. They probably have the tools, but they have way less chemistry than most international or European nations."What could be Sunday's X factor?Philippou: I'm fascinated to see how the psychological element of a game like this plays out and to observe how pressure impacts both team. Marine Johannes said that France feels like it has nothing to lose, but I'm not sure I buy that. There's clearly a desire to avenge the Olympic loss, and even some pressure to finally get French basketball on top."All we care about is winning," Dom Malonga said after the quarterfinal. "The French national team has been known for years for like second place or semifinals, never all the way, even in EuroBasket, until now -- I feel like we have to do it. We have to make it happen."France also doesn't have as much experience in these moments as the United States. At the same time, USA has six players who haven't played at the World Cup or Olympics in any capacity. And yet the pressure all 12 of those players carry is to not be the team that essentially screws up -- all while, as Stewart noted, keeping emotions in check."[The pressure] is constant," Stewart told ESPN. "Team USA, we haven't lost a World Cup game since '06. The same with the Olympics, however many gold medals in a row. It's not bad pressure. It's just the standard of what we do here. But it's like, we have to know what we're protecting and know what we're chasing."You can't shy away from it. You just have to embrace it. Like, this is the standard. This is the standard that those before me put into place, and now we make it the standard, and we just continue to keep it."Voepel: The Americans could help themselves if they can hit more 3-point shots. They struggled there Saturday, and it impacted their offensive effectiveness. The United States made 12 3-pointers vs. China and Hungary, one vs. Italy, seven vs. Czechia and three against Spain.By contrast, France has been much better from behind the arc, making at least 10 3-pointers in every game with a high of 22 (on 40 shots) in its 111-56 win over Nigeria on Monday. The Americans will need to try to slow down France from long range while also shooting better themselves.WNBA players on each rosterFrance WNBA players:G Pauline Astier, New York LibertyF Valeriane Ayayi, Phoenix MercuryG Marine Johannes, New York LibertyG Leila Lacan, Connecticut SunG Carla Leite, Portland FireC Dominique Malonga, Seattle StormF Janelle Salaun, Golden State ValkyriesG Gabby Williams, Golden State ValkyriesUSA WNBA players:F/C Aliyah Boston, Indiana FeverG Paige Bueckers, Dallas WingsG Sonia Citron, Washington MysticsG Caitlin Clark, Indiana FeverF Napheesa Collier, Minnesota LynxF/G Kahleah Copper, Phoenix MercuryG Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas AcesG Rhyne Howard, Atlanta DreamF Kiki Iriafen, Washington MysticsF Angel Reese, Atlanta DreamF Breanna Stewart, New York LibertyG Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces
