Breanna Stewart Becomes First Player to Win World Cup MVP Twice

Breanna Stewart was named MVP of the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup on Sunday night in Berlin, the second time she has won the award and the first time any player has won it twice. She also won it in 2018.

Her 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists in a 97-79 win over France gave the United States a fifth straight World Cup title. Stewart shot 7-of-10 from the field and 8-of-9 from the line in 30 minutes.

Across the tournament she averaged 12.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 23.1 minutes a game. She shot 55.3% from the floor. Her efficiency rating of 18.8 led the team.

Stewart has not lost a game in a senior United States uniform.

"I pride myself on being consistent, and that's showing up when it's the big moments and the small moments and all the moments in between," Stewart said. "It's like an unrealistic confidence that I have in myself, especially in those big moments. I believe that I always have a chance to win no matter what happens in the game."

The gold was Stewart's fourth at a World Cup, after 2014, 2018, and 2022. That ties her with Sue Bird for the most in the tournament's history. Bird is USA Basketball's women's national team managing director and announced this roster on Aug. 6.

For U.S. coach Kara Lawson, the rarest thing about Stewart is that she will play any position the game asks for.

"It starts with Stewie," Lawson said. "Her leadership, not just tonight, throughout the whole tournament, helping to guide the younger players, talk to them, just show them what it looks like to win."

"She is USA Basketball," Lawson continued. "When you think of the last 15 years, it's Stewie, and we're just really lucky to be a part of her era of this group."

Stewart made her senior national team debut at the 2014 World Cup while she was still at UConn. The Americans beat Spain in that final, and Saturday's semifinal in Berlin was the first World Cup meeting between the two countries since. Stewart had 16 points and 6 rebounds in the 76-66 win.

Her tournament was uneven before the final. She scored 7 points in the opener against China on Sept. 4. Two days later she shot 1-of-9 and finished with 5 points and 11 rebounds in a 55-52 win over Italy. Against Czechia the next night she went 8-of-11 for 19 points, with 7 rebounds and 6 assists in 17 minutes of a 105-64 win.

Stewart won four NCAA championships at UConn from 2013 through 2016 and was the Most Outstanding Player of each Final Four. Seattle drafted her first overall in 2016. She won titles with the Storm in 2018 and 2020 and with New York in 2024, and she was Finals MVP in 2018 and 2020. She has been league MVP twice, in 2018 and 2023.

She has three Olympic gold medals, from 2016, 2020, and 2024.

Stewart told the television broadcast after the game that she plans to play in the 2028 Olympics. The Americans have won every Olympic gold medal since 1996. The 2028 Games are in Los Angeles.