Team USA’s reign in the FIBA Women’s World Cup is legendary, built on a mountain of gold and the best record in competition history. But even champions stumble. In 2006, the unthinkable happened: a 75-68 semifinal shocker against Russia knocked them out of gold medal contention.
Stacking Gold, Until That One Fateful Day
This U.S. squad has claimed gold in each of its last four trips to the World Cup, cementing their status as the best-ever. The 2006 team, led by coach Anne Donovan, rolled through early games. They swept China and Nigeria by a combined 80 points, even beating that same Russian team by 10 in the group stage! They dispatched Lithuania by 34 in the quarters. Seriously, this roster was stacked. We’re talking eight current or future Hall of Famers, including our very own Seattle legend Sue Bird, plus Diana Taurasi, Tamika Catchings, and then-Tennessee phenom Candace Parker. A gold medal looked like a lock, right?
The Upset Nobody Saw Coming
Russia, made up mostly of players from their domestic league, had other plans. They came out firing, opening two 10-point leads in that first quarter. By the third, that lead ballooned to an unbelievable 20 points! Our squad battled back, with Taurasi and Parker combining for 34 points to ignite a comeback. But their efforts, as coach Donovan put it, were “cosmetic.” Russia, “buoyed by electric shooting from deep,” just kept pouring it on. “They came out and shot better than they had all tournament,” Donovan said. “This was the time when you have to step up and perform and I thought Russia did a great job with that tonight. Hats off to them. We made valiant runs a couple of times deep into the game, in the fourth quarter twice, but Russia’s lead was too great for us to come back.” This wasn’t just a loss, it was perhaps the biggest upset in women’s basketball history.
Even though Team USA snagged a bronze medal after that defeat, it was a bitter pill for a team with such high expectations. The U.S. women have brought home 11 World Cup titles, but that 75-68 semifinal loss to Russia in 2006 is a stark reminder that even the greatest can face an unexpected challenge. It’s a moment that still makes you grit your teeth, even with all the gold that followed.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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