Team USA Survives France Showdown to Reach U19 Women’s World Cup Semifinals

Americans are challenged by are now just two wins shy of another Gold Medal

Sienna Betts (right) poured in a team-high 26 points and Saniyah Hall continued her double-double streak with 18 points and 13 rebounds. / USA Basketball

Team USA’s dominance at the FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup continued Friday, but not without a challenge. The Americans (5-0) fought off a tough French squad for a 70-65 quarterfinal victory—marking their 26th consecutive win in U19 competition, the longest streak in tournament history.

They will face Spain in the semifinals on Saturday in a rematch of the 2023 gold medal game, which the U.S. won 69-66.

Hall Leads the Way Again

Saniyah Hall was electric once again for the United States, dropping 26 points—her third 20-point outing of the tournament—to anchor the win. The dynamic guard scored nearly half of the team’s first-half total and hit clutch buckets each time France mounted a run. She now ranks third in tournament scoring (19.6 ppg) and leads all players in steals (3.4 spg).

Key Runs and Late Heroics

France kept the pressure on throughout, twice cutting the lead to one in the third quarter. But the U.S. responded with a critical run, sparked by Emilee Skinner off the bench and capped by a Kayleigh Heckel 3-pointer, pushing the lead to 64-52 with just over three minutes remaining.

Skinner scored six key points across the third and fourth quarters, while Heckel and Sienna Betts each added 13. Jordan Lee had 9 and Jazzy Davidson chipped in 2.

Betts Continues Double-Double Streak

Betts recorded her fourth straight double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. She remains among the tournament leaders in scoring, rebounding, field-goal percentage, and blocks.

Defense Stands Tall

The USA defense again proved suffocating. France shot just 36.4% from the field and was forced into turnovers and late-clock heaves throughout. The U.S. has held every opponent under 37% shooting in the tournament.

What's Next?

With Friday’s win, Team USA improves to 105-13 all-time at the U19 level and 7-1 all-time against France. Saturday’s semifinal showdown with Spain promises to be another intense battle, with a gold medal berth on the line.