America's women's basketball epic reaches its climax with national unity on the line in FIBA World Cup final

It's the final countdown .

Caitlin Clark , Angel Reese and the U.S. women's national basketball team will defend its dynasty in Berlin on Sunday in a World Cup championship against France.

But this weekend, the pursuit of gold carries a distinctly heavier, and distinctly American, weight.

Taking the court on the 25th anniversary weekend of the September 11 terrorist attacks, head coach Kara Lawson isn't just looking to protect a historic 35-game World Cup winning streak.

"And as far as unity, I think unity is not just exclusive to the women’s basketball community," Lawson said.

"I think it’s unity for our country as well.

I think our team hopefully is creating unity across our country.

People being proud about how we play and how we represent the red, white and blue." TEAM USA COACH KARA LAWSON SPEAKS OUT ON PROGNOSTICATORS AFTER DOMINANT FIBA WORLD CUP WIN OVER HUNGARY The French stand in the way of that hope.

France enters Sunday's championship undefeated.

They just dismantled host-nation Germany 86-64 in the semifinals and jumped the U.S. for the top spot in FIBA’s power rankings heading into the final stage.

The French are also out for revenge.

Sunday marks a direct rematch of the unforgettable 2024 Olympic gold-medal thriller—a game the Americans narrowly escaped 67-66 only because French star Gabby Williams' toe grazed the 3-point line as time expired.

CAITLIN CLARK, ANGEL REESE SHOW UNITY FOR TEAM USA AT WORLD CUP AMID TENSE HISTORY American women's basketball fans have been captivated by the surreal imagery of watching Clark and Reese play together as teammates in this World Cup.

In the team’s dominant 108-56 quarterfinal blowout against Hungary , the pair checked in together and completely overwhelmed the Hungarian defense, combining for 19 points and highlighting their growing on-court connection.