Women's Basketball World Cup Awards Announced: Stewart MVP, Gabby DPOY, Han Xu Selected to All-Second Team

On September 14, Beijing time, the Women's Basketball World Cup came to a close as the U.S. women's team beat France 97-79 in the final, claiming their fifth straight championship. Following the game, the World Cup officials revealed the awards. Details below:

MVP + All-First Team

Breanna Stewart etched her name in FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup history, becoming the first player ever to earn MVP honors twice in this tournament.

The U.S. standout led her team to a 97-79 victory over France for a fifth consecutive title, marking the 12th World Cup championship in U.S. history. Eight years ago, she won her first MVP award in Tenerife.

Throughout the tournament, the experienced Stewart wielded immense influence. In the final, she delivered a stunning double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds. For the event, she averaged 12.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, with an efficiency rating of 18.8.

Joining Stewart on the All-First Team were Jackie Young, Gabby Williams, Iyana Martin, and Leonie Fiebich.

Young played a decisive role in the final, recording 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Overall, she averaged 12.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.

Gabby Williams was France's leading star, and her outstanding performances helped France reach their first-ever World Cup final. The forward excelled on both ends, averaging 18.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.8 steals per game, with an efficiency rating of 22.8.

Iyana Martin had a spectacular debut World Cup, leading Spain to a bronze medal at just 20 years old. The guard was her team's top scorer with 17.5 points per game, while also leading in assists (4.2) and steals (2.2).

The host nation Germany fell just short of their first World Cup medal, finishing fourth—their best result ever. Leonie Fiebich stood out, averaging over 30 minutes per game with an efficiency of 14.6, putting up 9.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per contest.

The All-Second Team consisted of Meesseman, Sabaaly, Talbot, Han Xu, and Salan.

Belgium's Emma Meesseman continued to display dominant form. Her efficiency rating of 25.0 was the highest in the tournament. Meesseman also led the event in scoring, averaging 21.0 points, along with 8.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists.

Host nation Germany achieved a historic fourth-place finish, their best ever, making the quarterfinals for the first time and advancing further to the semifinals. Nyara Sabaaly was a powerful pillar for the team. The forward averaged 12.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists.

Australia battled injuries, but Stephanie Talbot elevated her game significantly, helping the team reach the quarterfinals with several strong performances. The veteran guard led the Aussies in multiple key stats with an efficiency of 21.0, averaging 13.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.4 steals.

China's advancement to the quarterfinals owed much to the impactful play of interior core Han Xu. She consistently recorded double-doubles throughout the event, averaging 18.8 points and 10.8 rebounds, plus 2.0 assists per game.

Janelle Salan also made the list, a key contributor to France's historic run to the World Cup final. The forward averaged 11.2 points and 5.8 rebounds, with an efficiency of 15.3.

Defensive Player of the Year

Gabby Williams earned the Defensive Player of the Year award for another outstanding defensive display. Having previously won the award at the Paris 2024 Olympic women's basketball tournament, she again anchored France's defense with her intense pressure. She led her team with 2.8 steals per game and was often tasked with guarding the opponent's top offensive threat.

Gabby Williams is not merely a defensive player, but when it comes to defense, her performance was elite.

Her exceptional speed and court vision allowed her to cover multiple defensive positions within a single possession, making her a constant menace on that end.

Best Young Player

Spanish guard Iyana Martin was named the 2026 Women's Basketball World Cup Best Young Player. She shouldered the team's playmaking duties and delivered an outstanding tournament.

Martin entered the event as the ninth-youngest player on the roster, yet by the end, she ranked among the tournament's top performers.

She led Spain in scoring with 17.5 points per game, proving her ability.

In the bronze medal game, she closed out the World Cup with a highlight performance, scoring 22 points and dishing 9 assists to lead Spain to a decisive win over host Germany.

In the semifinal loss to the U.S., she also scored 17 points, becoming the youngest player to record at least 16 points in a Women's World Cup semifinal.

During the group stage, she scored 20 points in back-to-back games against Japan and Mali, becoming the first player under 21 in the 21st century to achieve that in consecutive Women's World Cup games.

Beyond scoring, Martin averaged 4.2 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game for the entire tournament.

Coach of the Tournament

Miguel Méndez led Spain's young team to a bronze medal at the 2026 Women's Basketball World Cup. Spain had missed the 2022 World Cup, and Méndez brought them back to the podium.

Throughout the event, Spain captivated Berlin crowds with fluid ball movement and high spirit, though their group stage start was uneven.

They opened with a big win over host Germany but then suffered a stunning upset loss to Mali, one of the biggest surprises of the tournament.

The team quickly regrouped, defeating Japan solidly to clinch first place in Group A and directly advance to the quarterfinals.

Coach Méndez led Spain past Australia to continue forward before facing the U.S. in the semifinals. Spain fought hard, ultimately falling by just 10 points.

They then faced the host again, winning 81-58 to take the bronze medal, marking Spain's fourth podium finish in five World Cups and concluding their memorable Berlin journey.