A win with weight behind it

Team USA beat Spain 76-66 in Berlin to reach the FIBA Women's World Cup final, one day after the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

She felt America in Europe

Lawson has been with USA Basketball since she was 17. She said the country's presence reached her in Berlin, especially on the anniversary itself.

“I don't know if there's anyone prouder to represent the U.S. than I am in this capacity.”

Not just one day

The 2001 attacks killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, at the Pentagon and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Lawson called it a memory the team carries past the ceremonies.

“It would mean a ton to win a World Cup for our country.”

Unity beyond the sport

Women's basketball has had loud rivalries and splits lately. Lawson said the team's reach goes wider than that, into the country itself.

“People being proud about how we play and how we represent the red, white and blue.”

A long climb to this bench

Lawson won Olympic gold as a player in Beijing in 2008, coached the first 3x3 gold in Tokyo, and assisted on the 2024 Paris gold team. She now leads the U.S. through the 2028 LA Games.

Spain nearly had them

The semifinal was tied 58-58 after three quarters. The U.S. held Spain to eight points in the fourth and closed on a 12-2 run.

Thirty-five straight

Breanna Stewart scored 16, Kahleah Copper 13, Jackie Young 12. The Americans have not lost a World Cup game since Russia beat them in the 2006 semifinals.

France, again

Sunday is a rematch of the Paris gold-medal game the U.S. survived 67-66, when Gabby Williams tied it from a foot inside the arc. France is undefeated and ranked above the U.S.

Bueckers leans on faith

Asked what has carried her through the tournament, guard Paige Bueckers pointed to her Christian beliefs, the same ones she has talked about since college.

“It's been my rock, my foundation. So, I take that with me wherever I go.”