Team USA head coach Kara Lawson
Team USA head coach Kara Lawson

BERLIN — Team USA dominated Hungary 108-56 in the quarterfinals of the FIBA Women's World Cup on Thursday, cruising into the semifinals and extending the Americans' international winning streak to 34 consecutive World Cup victories dating back to 2006.

The United States never trailed, jumping out to a 36-12 lead after the first quarter and building on it from there, outscoring Hungary in every period of the game. Team USA led 59-30 at halftime and continued to pull away in the third quarter, taking a commanding 93-47 advantage into the fourth before closing out the 52-point rout.

The Americans came out sharp offensively from the opening tip, scoring 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting through the first four minutes, with Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart combining for nine of the team's first 13 points from the mid-range. Team USA head coach Kara Lawson stuck with the same starting five she had used for a fourth consecutive game: Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, Kahleah Copper, Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart.

Team USA's offensive efficiency remained elite throughout the contest. Through three quarters, the Americans shot 24-of-37 from two-point range, a 65% clip, and 11-of-20 from three-point range, hitting 55% of their attempts from beyond the arc. The team assisted on 27 of its 36 made field goals through that stretch while committing just seven turnovers, reflecting the kind of crisp, unselfish execution that has defined Team USA's dominant run through this year's tournament.

Rhyne Howard was among the standout contributors off the bench, finishing with 15 points, two assists and four steals in just 17 minutes of action, highlighted by a steal that led directly to a highlight-reel skip pass to Paige Bueckers in semi-transition. Collier continued her strong tournament as well, adding another highlight play in the opening minutes off the bench against Hungary.

Thursday's win came two days after Team USA completed a perfect 3-0 sweep of Group D, closing out group play with a 105-64 rout of Czechia in Berlin on Monday. That 41-point victory over Czechia marked the Americans' 33rd consecutive World Cup win at the time, a streak now extended to 34 following Thursday's result against Hungary, a run of dominance dating back to 2006.

Hungary reached the quarterfinals after finishing third in Group B before advancing through the qualification round, defeating Japan 84-63 to earn its spot in the knockout stage against the Americans. Minnesota Lynx forward Dorka Juhasz entered Thursday's matchup as Hungary's top player, having averaged 15.3 points and 11 rebounds per game through the earlier rounds of the tournament. Hungary's FIBA World Ranking stood at 19th entering the event, a significant gap compared with the top-ranked Americans.

Thursday marked the first true win-or-go-home matchup of the tournament for Team USA, part of a 12-team elimination bracket format in which the two semifinal winners advance to play for the championship, while the two semifinal losers meet separately for the bronze medal.

The 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup is being held across two venues in Berlin, Germany, with Berlin Arena hosting all of the tournament's knockout-round matches after both Berlin Arena and Max-Schmeling-Halle shared hosting duties during the earlier group stage. Thursday's full quarterfinal slate also included France facing China, Belgium taking on Germany, and Spain meeting Australia, rounding out the day's action as the tournament field narrowed from 12 teams to a final four.

Team USA has entered this year's tournament as the heavy favorite to win the title, according to odds from BetMGM cited by USA Today, continuing the program's historic run of dominance in international competition. The Americans' roster for this World Cup features a mix of established WNBA stars and rising talent, with Breanna Stewart playing in her fourth World Cup for the national team and continuing to anchor the roster alongside players including Collier, Bueckers, Young, Gray and Copper.

With the WNBA regular season on pause to accommodate the international tournament, the World Cup has offered basketball fans an opportunity to watch several of the league's biggest stars compete together on the same roster, a dynamic that has drawn significant viewership and media attention throughout the event's group stage and now into the knockout rounds.

Thursday's blowout win keeps Team USA on track in its pursuit of continuing one of the most dominant streaks in international team sports history, with the Americans now needing just two more victories to claim the World Cup title outright. The semifinal round is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 12, with the gold medal game and bronze medal game both set for Sunday, Sept. 13, closing out the tournament.

For Hungary, Thursday's loss ends what had already been a notable tournament run for a program ranked well outside the sport's traditional elite, having advanced from Group B's qualification round all the way to the quarterfinal stage before running into an American team that has not lost a World Cup match in nearly two decades. Despite the lopsided final margin, Hungary's appearance in the final eight still represents a significant achievement for a program that entered the tournament ranked 19th in the world, well behind several of the traditional powers still competing for this year's title.

With the Americans now advancing to Saturday's semifinal round, attention turns to which opponent Team USA will face next, as the tournament's remaining contenders, including group winner France, work through their own quarterfinal matchups to determine the final bracket heading into the tournament's closing weekend in Berlin.

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