U.S. Women’s Basketball Heads to Championship | Sacramento News

0:00It's September 12th. This is Sacramento News today, your AI-powered local news. The U.S. Women's Basketball team is heading to the FIBO World Cup Championship game after beating Spain, 76, 66. Brianna Stewart led the way with 16 points, and Kali Akapa added 13. This win extends the U.S. winning streak in the tournament to 35 games, putting them one victory away from their fifth consecutive title, A. Record that would tie the former Soviet Union. Earlier this week, the game against Spain wasn't the smooth ride we've seen in previous matchups. The U.S. often struggled to find its rhythm, and Spain put up a strong defensive effort. The score was actually tied at 58 heading into the final quarter, showing how close this contest was. It's worth noting that this was the first time these two teams met in the World Cup since 2014, when the U.S. took home the gold. That was also Brianna Stewart's first time playing with the national team, so there's a bit of history there.

1:01Spain actually started off hot, jumping out to an early lead, which was the biggest deficit the U.S. had faced, all tournament. However, the U.S. managed to pull away in the fourth quarter, scoring 12 of the first 14 points to build their largest lead of the game. Spain fought back, but they couldn't close the gap enough. The Americans spent a lot of time at the free throw line, making 27 out of 35 attempts throughout the game. Now the focus shifts to the championship. The U.S. will face France in a rematch of the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medal game. That was a close one, decided by just one point, so expect another intense battle on the court.