Jason Whitlock credited the game's officials as the external force keeping Team USA out of trouble during their recent matchup against Spain.

Team USA outlasted Spain 76-66 to reach Sunday's FIBA Women's World Cup final, but for three quarters, this one felt nothing like a coronation. Spain matched the Americans possession for possession and had the score level at 58-58 entering the fourth quarter.

So, after the win, Whitlock did not credit the fourth-quarter defense or Kara Lawson's rotations. He credited the officials for the win.

"Without these refs, we would be in a lot of trouble," Whitlock wrote on X.

Six days earlier, after Team USA needed a late run just to survive Italy 55-52 in group play, Whitlock criticized the same officiating crew for letting the game get too physical.

"That was a brutal game of basketball," he wrote at the time, arguing the leniency had taken Caitlin Clark and Breanna Stewart out of rhythm.

Against Spain, a team that sent Team USA to the line 35 times, Whitlock is now arguing that same leniency finally cut in the Americans' favor.

For three quarters in the semifinal, Spain gave Team USA an exact scare. The game was deadlocked heading into the fourth quarter. But in the fourth quarter, the Americans dominated the floor, 18-8, to clinch a 10-point win.

Jackie Young scored six of her 12 points during a pivotal 12-2 burst. Breanna Stewart led the way with a team-high 16 points and six rebounds, while Kahleah Copper added 13 crucial points.

Team USA marched to the free-throw line 35 times, sinking 27 free throws. Spain, by contrast, earned just 11 attempts all afternoon, making 10. Stewart alone went 8-of-11, nearly matching Spain’s entire team total.

In a game where the Americans shot 40 percent from the floor and made just 3 of 18 attempts from three-point range, those 27 made free throws were not just helpful—they were the team's entire offensive lifeline.

But Team USA's toughest test is still ahead

Winning from the brink got Team USA to Sunday. But it won't be enough against what's waiting there.

Up next is France, which defeated Germany 86-64 in the other semifinal behind Gabby Williams' 22 points.

It's a rematch of the 2024 Paris Olympic gold-medal game — and this time, France arrives with far more momentum than it had two summers ago.

The last meeting between the two teams needed every bit of a 67-66 win to hold off the French for Olympic gold. It's the closest call of Team USA's current Olympic winning streak.

Two years later, France is deeper, faster, and playing with ruthless confidence. And while Team USA needed the fourth quarter to shake both Italy and Spain, France hasn't been threatened once.

Written by

Md Saife Fida