Team USA blows out Hungary 108-56 at 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup as Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese fuel record assists
The US winning streak at the World Cup is now 34 games, dating to a 2006 semifinal loss to Russia. The Americans have reached every medal round since the format changed in 1983.
Team USA needed only one quarter to turn a World Cup quarterfinal into a statement. The Americans beat Hungary 108-56 on Thursday in Berlin, posted the most points ever in a Women’s World Cup quarterfinal, and piled up a tournament-record 31 assists as they moved two wins from a fifth straight gold medal.
Napheesa Collier needed just 15 minutes to drop 19 points. Five teammates reached double figures. All 12 players scored. After a 55-53 scare against Italy in group play, this was a different team.
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese find each other off the bench
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese both started on the bench. Once they checked in together, the former college rivals looked like a pair that had been running pick-and-roll for years.
Clark finished with 10 points and a team-high nine assists in 20 minutes, one dime short of a second tournament double-double. Reese added nine points and six rebounds on 4-of-5 shooting. The two closed the first quarter with a clean pick-and-roll finish that pushed the lead to 36-12. Clark kept finding Reese at the rim. Reese repaid the favor with a steal and a transition feed in the third.
Paige Bueckers, first off the bench, had seven points and three assists. Rhyne Howard poured in 15 points and four steals. Kahleah Copper and Jackie Young each scored 10. Coach Kara Lawson emptied the bench and never lost control.
A record night built on sharing the ball
Team USA hit 20 of their first 26 shots and led 59-30 at halftime, the highest first-half total in a World Cup knockout game. They finished 40-of-68 from the field (59 percent) and 12-of-23 from three. They scored 52 points in the paint and turned Hungary’s 27 turnovers into easy layups.
Defense erases Hungary’s best player
Minnesota Lynx forward Dorka Juhasz entered averaging 15.3 points. She missed her first seven shots, did not score until late in the first half, and finished with two points on 1-of-12 shooting. Hungary, in their first World Cup quarterfinal, managed only 22 made field goals. Sonia Citron left briefly after an accidental blow to the nose in the third quarter and returned to start the fourth.
The US winning streak at the World Cup is now 34 games, dating to a 2006 semifinal loss to Russia. The Americans have reached every medal round since the format changed in 1983.
Two wins from another gold
Saturday’s semifinal opponent will be the winner of Australia-Spain. The US are No. 1 in the FIBA rankings. Australia are third and Spain sixth. France-China and Belgium-host Germany filled out the other quarterfinals.
About the Author
Aachal Maniyar is a Senior Content Producer at LiveMint, where she covers US sports with a focus on major leagues, marquee events, and athlete-driven stories, while also reporting extensively on cricket and global sports. With over five years of first-hand journalism experience, she combines sharp editorial judgment with real-time sports storytelling across platforms. <br><br> Her reporting journey spans leading newsrooms including Thomson Reuters, India TV, BTVI, ET NOW, and CNBC TV18, where she has worked across breaking news, live match coverage, feature writing, interviews, video scripting, and anchoring. This multi-platform exposure has shaped her ability to deliver context-rich sports and business journalism tailored for both television and digital audiences. <br><br> Aachal has conducted and produced exclusive interviews with athletes and public figures such as India cricketer Dhruv Jurel, Indian women’s hockey captain Savita Punia, and industrialist Ratan Tata, along with several emerging and established sports personalities. Her body of work includes in-depth explainers, athlete profiles, emotionally resonant fan narratives, and data-backed match analysis across cricket, Olympic sports, and international competitions. <br><br> She holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune, and believes in reporting that is grounded in accuracy, clarity, and credibility. Her philosophy is simple: sports journalism should go beyond scores and statistics, capturing the human stories, pressure moments, and decisions that shape the game and the people who play it.
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