Sept 10 (Reuters) – After cruising to quarter-final victories at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup on Thursday, the U.S. and France have set off on a collision course that could bring a rematch of their 2024 Olympic gold-medal game in the final.
France dispatched China 90-61 in Berlin to reach the semi-finals for the first time, led by 15 points each from Janelle Salaun and Marine Johannes, as well as 14 from captain Gabby Williams.
They now have a chance to claim their first World Cup medal since the inaugural tournament in 1953, when they finished third in the final round.
France will face Germany in the first semi-final on Saturday. The U.S. will play Spain later that day.
“This team here just want to make a new story and I think that’s the most important thing,” France coach Jean Aime Toupane told reporters.
U.S. SET RECORDS IN BEATING HUNGARY
After missing out on Olympic gold to the Americans by one point in Paris two years ago, France entered the tournament with confidence and hunger.
“We are lucky because we are a group that have known each other for a couple of years now,” Salaun said of the team’s chemistry.
“We went through a lot of things, the Olympics, training camp(s), so we just know each other and we know what we want. We have a goal and we want to do everything to get to this goal.”
Both Olympic finalists are now one win away from setting up a rematch after the U.S. crushed Hungary 108-56 earlier in the day, with 19 points from Napheesa Collier.
The defending champions’ 108 points and 31 assists were both records for a World Cup quarter-final.
“This was one of our most complete performances of the tournament,” U.S. coach Kara Lawson said, adding that she was pleased with her team’s defensive efforts.
“And then offensively, we as coaches love when they share the ball,” Lawson said with a smile. “And they did at just a high level.”
“As far as France, what a wonderful team, and they’ve had an outstanding World Cup so far,” Lawson added. “So they should have a lot of people thinking that they can do well.”
(Reporting by Nicole Fernandes in TorontoEditing by Christian Radnedge and Clare Fallon)
