Seventy-three years, ended in one afternoon
France had never played in a Women’s Basketball World Cup final. Not once since the tournament began in 1953. That changed this afternoon at Berlin Arena, where Gabby Williams took the host nation apart and France won 86-64.
Williams finished with 22 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals for an efficiency rating of 31, and she was named TCL Player of the Game. She also moved to 187 points in the competition, passing FIBA Hall of Famer Celine Dumerc to become France’s third-highest World Cup scorer.
The crowd of 12,650 included Sue Bird, Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki and Dennis Schroder. French greats Sandrine Gruda and Isabelle Fijalkowski watched from the front row. None of them saw a contest.
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Seven turnovers against twenty-five
Germany gave the ball away 25 times. France coughed it up seven times, and only twice before half-time. In a semi-final, with a host crowd pushing behind them, that gap was the whole game.
Janelle Salaun produced a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Marine Johannes scored 13, Valeriane Ayayi 10. France had already beaten Germany 85-63 in a World Cup qualifying tournament back in March, and they have now won all 11 meetings between the two nations.
Germany had been the story of the tournament until the buzzer. A first quarter-final in their history, a win over European champions Belgium, four straight victories in front of their own people. The run stops here.
A medal already banked
France are guaranteed a podium finish for the first time since the maiden edition in 1953. Their opponent in Sunday’s final comes from the second semi-final, where the United States face Spain at the same venue. The Americans arrive on a 34-game World Cup winning streak and an 11th consecutive semi-final appearance, having last lost at this stage exactly 20 years ago. Spain reached the last four by beating Australia 89-66.
Germany drop into Sunday’s third-place game against the loser of that match, with a first World Cup medal still within reach.
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