The perennial red-hot favourites, who had not lost a World Cup match since 2006, the USA were below their best for much of the tournament. They came into Sunday\u2019s game looking vulnerable, having come close to defeats against unheralded Italy and again against Spain in the semi-finals<\/a>.<\/p>\n No team had come within 20 points of France as they cruised into a maiden World Cup final, and they started strong on Sunday.<\/p>\n The US trailed by two points at half-time to an energetic France side but turned it on when it mattered, outscoring the Europeans 30-12 in the third quarter.<\/p>\n The French had \u2060to settle for silver in their best \u200cever World Cup finish, despite \u200cleading by 14 points at one stage.<\/p>\n Gabby Williams led France in a first-half flurry that put the US in comeback mode. Photograph: Ebrahim Noroozi\/AP<\/p>\n USA captain Breanna Stewart, \u200ctop scorer with 22 points, helped her team carve out an early five-point lead, anchoring the scoring in the beginning stages.<\/p>\n But the French exploded into action, quickly found their three-point range and, led by Gabby Williams, went on a \u200c21-2 rampage that saw them open up that 14-point advantage early in the second quarter.<\/p>\n The Americans \u200bstarted chipping away at the lead and trailed by just two points at the break after Caitlin Clark<\/a> hit a massively important three-pointer at the buzzer.<\/p>\n France were seeking revenge for their one-point loss in the gold medal match at the Paris Olympics but lost their composure as the Americans turned on the afterburners in the second half.<\/p>\n
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