Chelsea Gray had a pointed message after Team USA beat France 97-79 to win its fifth consecutive FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup title.
Chelsea Gray started at point guard for the United States in Sunday's 97-79 win over France in the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup final at Berlin Arena. She finished with 12 points and 5 assists.
France had won its five previous games in Berlin by an average of 35.6 points, with no margin closer than 22. The Americans beat Italy by three in group play and Spain by 10 in the semifinals.
"There was a lot of noise out there," Gray said on TNT. "I'm pretty sure we quieted that a little bit."
Chelsea Gray Praises Breanna Stewart
Gray's Las Vegas beat Breanna Stewart's New York in the 2023 WNBA Finals. New York won the title the following year, and Las Vegas won again in 2025. Gray was Finals MVP when Las Vegas won its first championship in 2022.
"She's so skilled, man," Gray explained. "I think sometimes you get used to seeing excellence all the time and you get complacent. You see the way she competes, the way she finishes the ball, the way she brings the team together. Things like this don't happen by accident."
"We've done it together a few times and I'm happy to share the court with her," Gray continued.
Stewart scored 22 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and handed out 4 assists in the final. She was named tournament MVP for the second time, the first player to win the award twice.
Stewart has four World Cup gold medals, which ties her with Sue Bird for the most in the tournament's history. She also has three Olympic golds and three WNBA titles.
Gray was one of five Americans in Berlin with Olympic experience, along with Stewart, Jackie Young, Kahleah Copper, and Napheesa Collier. Young is her teammate in Las Vegas.
Team USA Takes Over After Halftime
The Americans trailed by 14 in the second quarter and by two at the break, then held France to 12 points in the third quarter. It was the first double-digit deficit the United States had faced in a World Cup game since the 2006 semifinals.
The teams tied 6 times and traded the lead 6 times, and the United States led for 22 minutes, 1 second of the 40. The Americans shot 56% from the field and 62.2% on 2-pointers. France shot 48% overall, made 8 of its 3-pointers before halftime, and made 3 after.
Young finished with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists and was named TCL Player of the Game. Stewart and Young were both picked for the tournament's All-Star Five, along with Gabby Williams of France, Iyana Martin of Spain, and Leonie Fiebich of Germany.
Gray Adds Another Gold With Team USA
Gray had 11 points and 8 assists in a 93-59 win over Italy at the World Cup qualifying tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in March. Copper led that game with 15 points.
The United States went 6-0 in Berlin and won by an average of 26 points. It was the 12th World Cup title for the Americans and their fifth in a row.
Las Vegas has four regular season games left. It resumes Sept. 17 at Seattle.
