Preamble: A golden rematch

The most-anticipated rematch since Rocky Balboa faced Apollo Creed for the second time is about to go down in Berlin.

This US women’s basketball team’s success has long been taken for granted. Since the Olympic boycott in 1980, we can literally count the team’s losses in World Cup and Olympic championships on one hand, and two of those were in the team’s silver medal campaign in the 1983 World Cup. They lost in the semifinals of the 1992 Olympics to their traditional rival Unified Team, then in the semifinals of the 1994 World Cup to Brazil. Since then, they’ve gone 121-1, with the sole blemish being the 2006 World Cup semifinal against Russia. At the game’s top levels, they’ve won 71 straight.

If you like, you can throw in the Goodwill Games, held in 1986, 1990 and 1994. US record: 14-0.

But in the last two competitions, they’ve dealt with two of the closest games in their history.

Two years ago in the Olympic final, the US trailed France by as many as 10 points in the third quarter before A’ja Wilson put the team on her back. The game ended with France’s Gabby Williams hitting a last-second shot that seemed to have tied the game until we all saw the replay showing her foot on the 3-point arc. France needed three and got two. Game over.

The Guardian’s MBM commentator for that game was clearly out of breath by the end, but I’ve recovered.

Related: Fiba Women’s Basketball World Cup final: USA v France – live

This year, Wilson isn’t around to get the team through clutch time. That may explain why the US struggled against a good-but-not-great Italy team in the group stage, giving up a 15-point lead and trading the lead back and forth. The defense held Italy to four points in the final five minutes to hang on for a 55-52 win.

The US looked vulnerable again in yesterday’s semifinal. Spain led 16-9 and was tied 56-56 late in the third quarter, but the defense again clamped down.

Vivement la revanche.

Beau will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s how the US got on in the semi-final:

Breanna Stewart scored 16 points and Kahleah Copper added 13 for the four-time defending champions, who were tied at 58 entering the fourth quarter before finally taking control. Jackie Young added 12 points.

“I think it’s two great teams going to go head-to-head,” Copper said. “You know I’m excited for the matchup. I’m excited for us to be able to compete.”

Spain led 13-4 midway through the first quarter and trailed only 39-36 at halftime. María Conde and Iyana Martín hit three-pointers early in the third as Spain erased the deficit, while Martín’s two free throws with 53 seconds left sent the game into the fourth tied at 58.

Copper and Young scored to open the fourth before Stewart helped the US create separation. The Americans stretched their lead to eight with just over six minutes remaining before Young’s steal and layup made it 76-64 with 1:42 left.

Conde and Martín scored 17 points apiece for Spain, who held the Americans to 40% shooting. The US made only three of 18 three-point attempts, while Caitlin Clark finished with one point and missed all three of her shots from beyond the arc.

You can read the full report below:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/sep/12/usa-spain-womens-basketball-world-cup-semi-final