Caitlin Clark Fans Accuse Team USA Teammates Of Freezing Her
Caitlin Clark

Team USA is two wins away from an unprecedented World Cup five-peat, and the Americans will take a significant step toward that goal Saturday when they face Spain in the semifinals of the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup at Berlin Arena in Berlin, Germany.

Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT, 11 a.m. PT), with the winner advancing to Sunday's gold-medal game against the victor of the other semifinal between reigning Olympic silver medalist France and tournament host Germany, also being played Saturday.

How to watch

The USA-Spain semifinal is set to air on TBS in the United States, with coverage also available via truTV in some listings. The game can be streamed on TBS.com, the TBS app, and HBO Max. Every game of the tournament is additionally available in the U.S. through FIBA's exclusive streaming platform, Courtside 1891, which is accessible through DAZN for $11.99 a month or $44.99 annually, offering both live and on-demand access to the full World Cup schedule. Cord-cutters can also stream the broadcast through live TV services such as YouTube TV and DIRECTV, which offers a free trial for new subscribers.

Team USA's path to the semifinals

The United States enters Saturday's matchup riding a 30-game World Cup winning streak, extended further with four consecutive victories in Berlin. Under head coach Kara Lawson, the Americans went 3-0 in group play, opening with a 94-61 win over China before a tighter 55-52 win over Italy and a 105-64 win over Czechia. Team USA then routed Hungary 108-56 in the quarterfinals to punch its ticket to the semifinal round.

The U.S. squad is playing in its 11th consecutive World Cup semifinal, extending a winning streak in the competition that stretches back 20 years; the Americans' last semifinal loss came against Russia in 2006. Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Jackie Young, Kahleah Copper and Chelsea Gray have anchored the starting lineup throughout the tournament, with Jackie Young leading the team in scoring at 11 points per game. Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have provided key production off the bench.

Clark, playing in her first World Cup, has emerged as one of the tournament's top facilitators, ranking among the competition's assist leaders with an average of seven per game. Stewart has also been a steady contributor, entering the semifinal averaging 9.8 points, seven rebounds and 2.8 assists across the tournament, with a cumulative line of 39 points, 28 rebounds and 11 assists through four games.

Spain's road to Berlin

Spain reached the semifinals after going 2-1 in group play, a stretch that included an uncharacteristic upset loss to Mali, before the team rebounded with a blowout win over reigning bronze medalist Australia in the quarterfinals.

The Spanish roster features several current WNBA players, headlined by guard Iyana Martin, a 2026 first-round pick of the Portland Fire who is expected to join the league next season. Martin leads Spain in both scoring, at 16.5 points per game, and assists, averaging 3.3 per contest. She is joined on the roster by Seattle Storm rookie center Awa Fam, Toronto Tempo forward Maria Conde, and fellow Fire center Megan DiLeo.

DiLeo, who played college basketball at Iowa and won conference player of the year honors during her collegiate career, was asked ahead of Saturday's matchup whether having Clark come off the bench for Team USA might work to Spain's advantage. She dismissed the notion directly.

"I don't think so," DiLeo said. "I think she's just a great player."

Head-to-head history favors the Americans

Historically, the matchup has heavily favored the United States. The Americans are 11-0 all-time against Spain in women's international competition tracked by FIBA, and the two teams met earlier this year in a World Cup qualifying game, with the U.S. winning 84-70.

Despite that lopsided history, Spain's run through the tournament, including its dominant quarterfinal performance against Australia, suggests the team is playing with confidence heading into Saturday's semifinal, even against a heavily favored American squad chasing its 12th overall World Cup championship and fifth consecutive title.

What's on the line

A win Saturday would put Team USA into Sunday's gold-medal game, held at the same Berlin Arena venue, with the third-place game also scheduled for Sunday and broadcast on TNT, truTV and HBO Max. The tournament's other semifinal, pitting France against host nation Germany, will determine the Americans' potential opponent in the final should the U.S. advance.

For Spain, a victory would represent one of the program's most significant results in program history, breaking a lengthy winless streak against the United States and denying the Americans a chance at an unprecedented fifth straight World Cup crown.

Looking ahead

With four days of group and quarterfinal play now behind both squads, Saturday's semifinal represents the biggest test yet for a U.S. team that has leaned on balanced scoring, veteran leadership from players like Stewart and Collier, and rising stars such as Clark and Bueckers coming off the bench. Fans in the United States looking to follow the action live have multiple options across cable, streaming apps and subscription services to catch the full game as it unfolds from Berlin.

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