Breanna Stewart scored 19 points and Napheesa Collier added 12 as the United States recovered from its most difficult game in decades to demolish Czechia 105-64 on Monday at the FIBA Women's World Cup in Berlin.
The win completed a 3-0 sweep of Group D and extended the Americans' tournament winning streak to 33 games — a run stretching back to a semifinal loss to Russia at the 2006 World Cup. Only the Soviet Union's record of 56 consecutive victories from 1959 to 1986 stands ahead of the current American streak.
Stewart, who had endured the worst shooting performance of her international career the previous night against Italy, was determined to set the tone early. She knocked down 11 of her 19 points in the opening quarter as the USA raced to a 29-15 lead — a stark contrast to the 30 total first-half points they managed in Sunday's 55-52 nail-biter.
"I just wanted to be better. I just wanted to really lead by example," Stewart said. "Not only just from stats, but just the way that I was communicating to my teammates. This is a big moment for all of us and we need to take full advantage of it."
The forward finished 8-of-11 from the field with seven rebounds and six assists in just 17 minutes of action, an efficient display that silenced any lingering doubts about her form after she went 0-for-6 against Italy.
Collier provided the secondary punch with seven of her 12 points in the second quarter, helping the USA pull away to a commanding halftime advantage. The balanced attack gave head coach Cheryl Reeve ample room to manage minutes ahead of the knockout rounds.
Caitlin Clark, who struggled to find her rhythm in the tight Italy game, responded with nine points and seven assists. Her playmaking pushed her tournament average to 6.3 assists per game, inching closer to Dawn Staley's all-time World Cup record of 5.8 assists per game. Clark also showed improved scoring touch after going scoreless from three-point range against Italy.
The Americans' transition game, largely absent in the Italy contest, returned to full effect. Stewart noted the team identified lanes they had failed to exploit the previous night and ran them aggressively from the opening tip.
Czechia, already eliminated after two losses in the group stage, had no answer for the American onslaught. The European side managed just 15 first-quarter points and never threatened to close the gap as the USA bench extended the lead throughout the second half.
The result sets up a quarterfinal clash on Thursday against the winner of Hungary versus Japan. After surviving their toughest test in years against Italy, the Americans showed they can still dominate when their stars perform at their peak. The 41-point margin of victory was a statement that the defending champions remain the team to beat in Berlin.
Sources
- https://apnews.com/article/us-stewart-world-cup-2c9467a34207e1b163b01f1438f031d3
- https://www.usab.com/news/2026/09/usa-cze-2026wwc-game-3
- https://sports.yahoo.com/wnba/article/team-usa-offense-revives-in-105-64-win-over-czechia-at-fiba-womens-world-cup-to-finish-group-play-203007443.html
