The United States advanced directly to the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup after beating Czechia 105-64 at Berlin Arena on Monday. The defending champions completed Group D with a 3-0 record and will face either Hungary or Japan on Thursday, according to FIBA and NBC Sports.
The Americans took control immediately, winning the first quarter 29-15 and extending their advantage to 57-33 by halftime. FIBA's official box score showed that the United States won every quarter, then closed the game with 48 points after the break while allowing 31. The team led for 39 minutes and nine seconds and built a largest advantage of 46 points.
Breanna Stewart led the United States with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while scoring 11 points in the opening quarter. NBC Sports reported that all 12 American players scored and each played at least 13 minutes, reflecting the depth that allowed the champions to sustain their pace throughout the game. Eliska Joklova produced Czechia's leading efficiency figure of 18.
The result represented a sharp response to the United States' 55-52 victory over Italy one day earlier, its closest World Cup game during a 33-match winning streak in the competition dating to 2006. The Americans shot 53 percent from the field against Czechia, compared with 33 percent for their opponents, and made 28 percent of their three-point attempts while Czechia converted 10 percent.
A crowd of 11,693 watched the game in Berlin. The United States entered the tournament seeking a fifth consecutive world title, and the victory confirmed a direct place in the last eight under the format that sends each group winner straight to the quarterfinals while second- and third-placed teams contest an additional qualifying round.
Hungary and Japan were scheduled to meet on Tuesday for the right to play the United States. A Japanese victory would create a rematch of the Tokyo Olympic final, which the Americans won 90-75. The World Cup continues in Berlin through September 13, with the quarterfinals scheduled for Thursday, the semifinals on Saturday and the medal games on Sunday.
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