The United States national women's basketball team has successfully navigated the knockout rounds of the World Cup, securing its place among the top four contenders. With an unbroken streak of reaching the gold-medal game in the last four tournaments, and winning each time, the team now focuses on a critical semifinal match against Spain. This encounter is a pivotal step towards maintaining their dominance and securing another World Cup final appearance, highlighting their consistent performance on the global stage.
The highly anticipated semifinal clash between Team USA and Spain is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. ET. This match will determine one of the finalists for Sunday's gold-medal game. In parallel, France will challenge host nation Germany in the other semifinal at 10:30 a.m. ET. Both semifinal matchups are crucial, as the winners will advance to compete for the championship, while the losing teams will play for third place. Fans can catch these thrilling games live on TNT, truTV, and HBO Max.
Team USA's journey to the semifinals was marked by a commanding 108-56 victory over Hungary in the quarterfinals. This impressive win saw former UConn standout Napheesa Collier lead the scoring with 19 points, a personal best in her Team USA career. The American squad demonstrated exceptional teamwork, recording a World Cup quarterfinal record of 31 assists, and setting new benchmarks for total points (108) and first-half points (59) in a quarterfinal match. Their defense was equally formidable, effectively neutralizing Hungary's star player, Dorka Juhász, who was limited to just two points.
Spain earned their semifinal berth by overcoming Australia with a score of 89-66. Key performances included Megan Gustafson of the Portland Fire contributing 16 points, Seattle Storm's Awa Fam securing eight rebounds, and former Oregon star Maite Cazorla dishing out five assists. During the group stage, Spain posted a 2-1 record, defeating Germany and Japan, with their sole loss coming against Mali. Iyana Martin has been a consistent offensive force for Spain, averaging 16.5 points per game, while Fam leads the team in rebounding with 6.8 boards per contest.
Team USA holds a historically strong advantage over Spain in the World Cup, having never been defeated by them in five previous encounters. This includes two significant knockout stage victories: a 77-64 win in the 2014 gold-medal game and a 106-70 triumph in the 2010 semifinals. These past results underscore the Americans' consistent upper hand in this particular rivalry, adding an intriguing layer to their upcoming match.
The United States is set to battle Spain in the semifinals, aiming to secure a place in the World Cup final. This critical matchup follows their dominant quarterfinal win against Hungary. With a perfect World Cup record against Spain, the American team is poised to continue its quest for another championship title, while France and Germany compete in the other bracket for a spot in the final.
