Team USA holds off France, Reaches U19 World Cup Semifinals

Photo courtesy of USA Basketball 

By Chris Price
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

BRNO, CZECH REPUBLIC (July 19, 2025) The USA U19 Women’s National Team stayed perfect at the 2025 FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup with a hard-fought 70-65 win over France in the quarterfinals on Friday in Brno, Czech Republic. The victory marks the Americans’ 26th straight win in U19 competition, setting a new tournament record.

France gave the U.S. its toughest test yet. The Americans led just 38-32 at halftime and saw their lead cut to one point in the third quarter. But key plays off the bench by Emilee Skinner and a scoring burst by starters Sienna Betts and helped Team USA push ahead 52-45 going into the fourth quarter.

Hall once again led the way with 26 points, her third 20-point game of the tournament. The strong guard hit big shots early to hold off French momentum and now averages 19.6 points and 3.4 steals per game. Betts also had another big night, earning her fourth straight double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Team defense helped seal the win, as the Americans held France to just 36.4% shooting. No opponent has shot better than 37% against the U.S. in this tournament. The starting five delivered the bulk of the offense, scoring 64 of the team's 70 total points.

With the win, the U.S. improved to 105-13 all-time in U19 play and will face Spain next in the semifinals on Saturday. It’s a rematch of the 2023 gold medal game, which the U.S. won 69-66.