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Team USA held off Spain to win the FIBA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Brno, Czechia, prevailing 82-73 in a final that tested the Americans’ depth and poise. The victory extends the U.S. streak to four consecutive U-17 golds and cements a dominant run — seven titles in the eight tournaments held to date — while spotlighting a rising star who has now earned back-to-back international MVP honors.
How the final played out
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The game was a back-and-forth affair for three quarters, with the U.S. leading 61-58 after 30 minutes. Spain rallied in the fourth, taking a brief 73-71 edge after a deep three from Isabel Hernandez, who finished as the tournament’s top scorer with 28 points.
Instead of folding, the Americans responded with a decisive closing burst. A sustained 11-0 run turned a two-point deficit into an insurmountable lead and carried Team USA to the gold.
Coach Steve Gomez praised the squad’s resilience and suggested the win reflected the group’s ability to make winning plays under pressure — a quality that mattered most in the tournament’s tightest moments.
Standouts and stats
Micah Ojo led the U.S. in the final with 20 points, while Arianna Robinson added 14. Forward Nation Williams posted a double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) and also impacted the game defensively with two steals and three blocks.
At the other end, Spain leaned heavily on Hernandez’s scoring, but the Americans’ balanced attack and depth ultimately prevailed.
Ivanna Wilson Manyacka: two international MVPs in a row
The tournament’s overall MVP honors went to Ivanna Wilson Manyacka, who claimed her second straight international MVP after earlier taking top honors at the U-16 AmeriCup in 2025. The 5-star forward from The Bullis School (MD) offered a complete stat line in the final — nine points, 10 rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal — and produced several high-impact performances across the week.
Manyacka’s World Cup highlights included a 21-point outburst in the lopsided win over Ivory Coast and a double-double against Australia that helped keep the U.S. unbeaten. Over seven games she averaged a team-leading blend of production and defensive activity: 12.9 points, six rebounds and 2.6 steals per game.
Other key contributors
Nation Williams, a 5-star recruit from Las Vegas and the Gatorade Nevada Player of the Year, was a rebounding and defensive force throughout the tournament, recording double-doubles in more than half of Team USA’s games.
- July 11 vs. Ivory Coast — 11 points, 11 rebounds, six steals, two blocks
- July 15 vs. Mexico — 10 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks
- July 18 vs. Canada (semifinal) — 14 points, 11 rebounds, six steals
- July 19 vs. Spain (final) — 10 points, 10 rebounds, two steals, three blocks
Across the week Williams averaged 8.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 1.9 blocks per game, giving the U.S. consistent interior presence on both ends.
Context and what this means
Team USA finished the tournament 7-0, and while several victories were blowouts, the roster’s ability to win close games — including the narrow group-stage result over Australia (74-72) — is a notable takeaway for U.S. youth development. The blend of athleticism, defensive intensity and situational poise suggests many players will remain ones to watch as they move toward high school, college and the next levels of international competition.
For Manyacka, the consecutive MVPs underline her trajectory as one of the top prospects in the class; for the program, the title reinforces the United States’ ongoing dominance at the U-17 level and the health of its talent pipeline.
