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Team USA Advances Unbeaten in FIBA Women’s World Cup

Team USA rolls into Berlin’s business end with a familiar look: ruthless, unbeaten and already rewriting the record book.

The Americans crushed Czechia 105-64 on Monday, Sept. 7, to complete a perfect 3-0 sweep of Group D at the FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin. The 41-point demolition wasn’t just a statement; it was history extending itself. That victory marked the USA’s 33rd consecutive World Cup win, a streak that has stretched unbroken since 2006.

Now they wait. The quarterfinals arrive on Sept. 10, with the United States set to face the winner of Hungary vs. Japan. Two days off, a reset, and then straight into knockout basketball.

A machine with many engines

This is not a one-star show. It’s a deep, finely tuned roster where roles are clear and the production is spread across the floor.

Breanna Stewart, in her fourth World Cup, has settled into the familiar role of two-way anchor. She’s averaging 10.3 points and 8.3 rebounds, the kind of steady baseline that lets everyone else push the pace and take risks.

Jackie Young leads the team in scoring at 11.3 points per game, a reminder that USA’s offense can come from anywhere on the perimeter. The backcourt, though, has a different kind of heartbeat.

Caitlin Clark, in her first World Cup, has taken the controls as primary playmaker. She tops the team at 6.3 assists per game, and her debut performance set the tone: 11 assists, zero turnovers, and a clear message that she can run this team on the sport’s biggest stage.

“(Caitlin) provides a great playmaking aspect to her game on our team,” coach Kara Lawson said. “We rely on her at the point guard position when she’s in, to run the team. We saw that in the first game when she had 11 assists and zero turnovers.”

Lawson knows this is a learning curve for her young guard, but she also knows the ceiling.

“She’s another young player that’s feeling her way through her first World Cup, you know? And she’s really motivated and wanting to help our team win. And I think that’s a great place to be. And I think all of our young players will take a lot from these three pool play games, give them a lot of confidence as we go into the middle round.”

Clark isn’t the only one carving out a niche. Paige Bueckers leads the team in blocks at 1.3 per game, an eye-catching stat for a guard and a sign of how aggressively USA defends on the perimeter. Rhyne Howard tops the steals chart at 1.7 per game, turning defense into instant offense and feeding the transition game that has overwhelmed opponents so far.

Group stage done. Now it’s sudden death.

The World Cup now shifts into a 12-team elimination format. Every game from Tuesday, Sept. 8, is win-or-go-home.

The bracket is set up with four group winners waiting for opponents in the quarterfinals. The path looks like this:

Teams advancing from the group stage

  • Group A: Japan, Spain, Germany
  • Group B: Hungary, South Korea, France
  • Group C: Belgium, Australia, Puerto Rico
  • Group D: United States, Italy, China

Before the quarterfinals, four qualification games will decide who joins the group winners:

Tuesday, Sept. 8

  • Hungary vs. Japan, 11:45 a.m. ET (winner faces the United States)
  • Germany vs. South Korea, 2:45 p.m. ET (winner faces Belgium)

Wednesday, Sept. 9

  • Puerto Rico vs. China, 11:45 a.m. ET (winner faces France)
  • Italy vs. Australia, 2:45 p.m. ET (winner faces Spain)

From there, the knockout schedule in Berlin is straightforward and unforgiving:

  • Sept. 10: Quarterfinals
  • Sept. 12: Semifinals
  • Sept. 13: Championship and third-place game

Win three more, and you’re world champion. Lose once, and the dream ends.

The favorites, and everyone chasing them

The betting markets tell the same story the court has told for two decades: this is USA’s tournament to lose.

According to BetMGM, Team USA is the clear favorite to win the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup, and the only team listed with minus-odds:

  • United States -500
  • France +600
  • Belgium +1400
  • Spain +2000
  • Australia +2800
  • China +6600
  • Germany +6600
  • Italy +6600
  • Japan +20000
  • South Korea +20000
  • Puerto Rico +20000
  • Hungary +20000

France, Belgium, Australia and Spain sit in that next tier of contenders, each with enough talent to scare anyone in a one-off game. But the gap in expectation is obvious. The Americans are still the standard.

Berlin, the center of the women’s game

The entire World Cup unfolds in Berlin, where the city has turned into a two-venue stage for the best in the women’s game.

The 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup is being played at Berlin Arena and Max-Schmeling-Halle. Both arenas host group-stage games, while Berlin Arena takes over as the exclusive home of the knockout rounds, including the final.

For now, Team USA has a brief pause, a chance to breathe after tearing through Group D. Then the real tension begins.

Three games remain between this group and another gold medal. In a city built on history, can anyone stop them from writing more of their own?

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