No pressure and no thoughts of revenge for France going into women's FIBA World Cup final

BERLIN (AP) — After enduring heartbreak in the women’s basketball final at the 2024 Olympics, France star Gabby Williams seems to be on a mission at the women’s FIBA World Cup.

Williams led her team to the final Saturday with 22 points, five rebounds, four assists and five steals in an 86-64 win over host Germany, potentially setting up a showdown with the United States on Sunday for a repeat of the Olympic final.

The Americans won that gold medal match in Paris by a point, 67-66, after Williams’ last-second shot was just inside the 3-point line rather than outside to tie the game.

The U.S. was playing Spain in the second World Cup semifinal later Saturday.

Williams told reporters beforehand she had “no preference” which team France will face on Sunday.

The former UConn standout has been starring throughout the tournament with double figures in each of her five games. She has also supported teammates and pushed the team.

“It’s just great to have her as an example ... of consistency, of just hard work and and aggressiveness throughout all the game,” center Dominique Malonga told reporters. “It was a tough night for me, and and just having her talking to me and pouring into me, having her energy helped a lot.”

France's win over Germany was undoubtedly the toughest so far with the home team receiving loud support from the partisan home fans at Berlin Arena. It was the first game in the tournament in which the French failed to break the 90-point mark.

But Williams was still proud of her team’s achievement — France had never played a women’s FIBA World Cup semifinal before so Sunday’s final will also be the country’s first.

“I’m proud of the fight in this group, the determination, the encouragement during the matches, and simply their effort,” Williams said. “We were up against a good team tonight. We’ve had matches that were a bit easier so to speak, but I’m glad we didn’t panic just because we didn’t win by 20 points right away.”

Williams scored all but one of her five free throws despite the efforts from the hostile crowd to put her off.

“I’ve been through quite a few moments like that. I know what that kind of pressure is like. I know what’s needed in those moments,” she said.

If Williams had any doubts, she didn’t show them.

“We’re not going to show weaknesses on the court, we’re not going to show doubts. If we did, our opponents would eat us alive,” she said.

Janelle Salaün, who had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds against Germany, said the 2024 Olympic final was in the past and would have no bearing on Sunday’s decider.

“That was two years ago,” Salaün said of the Olympics. “There were different people involved, different players, so now we’re focusing on tomorrow and the here and now.”

Whatever happens Sunday, France is set for its best World Cup finish. France hasn’t won a medal since the inaugural tournament in 1953, when the team finished third in the final round.

“It means a lot. This is the first time we’re taking it to this level,” France coach Jean-Aimé Toupane said. “You guys can see how French basketball all around the world is improving.”

Marine Johannès, another of the team’s stars, said there was no pressure to take home gold.

“If I’m (being) honest we have nothing to lose,” Johannès said. “We actually know they are a great team. They won every World Cup for years and years. We are playing with these players all season in W(NBA) actually. We know how good they are. It’s one game, nothing to lose. We are going to play hard and we’ll see what happens.”

See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

France's Marine Johannes, left, and Pauline Astier hug after the Women's Basketball World Cup semifinal match between France and Germany in Berlin, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

France's Marine Johannes guards Germany's Alexandra Wilke during the Women's Basketball World Cup semifinal match between France and Germany in Berlin, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

French players celebrate after the Women's Basketball World Cup semifinal match between France and Germany in Berlin, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

France's Valeriane Ayayi, left, Marine Johannes, center, and Mamignan Toure react during the Women's Basketball World Cup semifinal match between France and Germany in Berlin, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

France's Gabby Williams scores over Germany's Marie Guelich during the Women's Basketball World Cup semifinal match between France and Germany in Berlin, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

VENICE, Italy (AP) — “Woman Unknown,” a drama about Denmark in the aftermath of the Nazi occupation directed by May el-Toukhy, won the prestigious Golden Lion at the 83rd Venice Film Festival on Saturday.

The Maggie Gyllenhaal -led jury announced the winners, which included a best actor prize for John Malkovich for his performance in the dark CIA comedy “Wild Horse Nine.”

Malkovich was not in attendance at the ceremony, but he sent a video message, explaining that he is shooting in Montreal.

“I am humbled to be chosen for this award which has been given to so many wonderful actors,” Malkovich said.

El-Toukhy, who was the only woman to have solely directed a film in the main competition this year, is only the eighth woman to have won the festival's top prize.

“To me personally, ‘Woman Unknown’ is about the female body as a battleground,” el-Toukhy said. “At the same time the film tells the tale of women who are unseen, invisible and voiceless.”

She thanked Gyllenhaal for using her voice to shine a light on unequal opportunities for women in moviemaking.

The film is centered on a young nanny and housemaid who is about to marry her wealthy employer in the immediate aftermath of the war. But she harbors a secret past intimate relationship with a German soldier that threatens to upend her reputation. The lead, Mathilde Arcel, won the festival's best actress prize.

Arcel was visibly emotional accepting the award, which she said was very heavy and decided to place on the floor while she spoke.

“This is my first lead role in a movie and my first time at a film festival,” she said. “I’m extremely honored.”

South Korean auteur Lee Chang-dong’s poetic portrait of class and labor, “Possible Love,” won the Silver Lion grand jury prize. “Possible Love” is Lee’s first film in eight years, following his acclaimed “Burning.”

“NAZA,” a harrowing documentary about military strategies employed in the war in Gaza from Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, was awarded a special jury prize.

“It is really, really especially important to us that Israelis watch this film,” Abraham said.

The was added to the main competition late — at the request of the filmmakers — and debuted late in the schedule as well, but its impact was felt as it received a record-breaking standing ovation, lasting some 25 minutes, after its premiere.

Shot on the rooftops of Tel Aviv at night in extreme secrecy over three years, “NAZA” features testimony from 24 Israeli military insiders including intelligence officers and soldiers give who insight into the war in Gaza and what they say is the systemic killing of Palestinian civilians.

The jury gave the Silver Lion for directing to Ilya Krzhanovsky for his film “Dau,” a project about the Soviet physicists who built the atomic bomb that has taken over 20 years to make. Krzhanovsky, who renounced his Russian citizenship in protest of the war in Ukraine, dedicated the prize to Ukrainians, including his mother who was born there.

French director Stéphane Brizé’s won the screenplay prize for his corporate drama “A Good Little Soldier.” Malou Khebizi was given the Marcello Mastroianni award for emerging actor for her role in Cédric Kahn’s “A Place to Heal,” which is set in an adolescent psychiatric ward in a public hospital.

Aside from Malkovich's win, the starrier, Hollywood films playing in competition were shut out of the awards, including “Primetime,” “Bunker” and “Ink.”

For more coverage of the 2026 Venice Film Festival, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/venice-film-festival

Lee Chang-Dong poses for photographers at the closing ceremony red carpet during the 83rd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

May el-Toukhy, left, and Mathilde Arcel Fock pose for photographers at the closing ceremony red carpet during the 83rd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

Jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal poses for photographers at the closing ceremony red carpet during the 83rd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

Rachel Szor, left, and Yuval Abraham pose for photographers at the closing ceremony red carpet during the 83rd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

Maggie Gyllenhaal speaks to the audience prior to Ellen Burstyn receiving the golden lion for lifetime achievement during the 83rd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Monday, Sept. 7, 2026. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

Driector Lee Chang-dong, from left, Sul Kyung-gu, Jeon Do-yeon, Cho Yeo-jeong and Zo In-sung pose for photographers at the red carpet for the film 'Possible Love' during the 83rd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026. (Photo by Alessandra Tarantino/Invision/AP)

John Malkovich, left, and Sam Rockwell pose for photographers at the red carpet for the film 'Wild Horse Nine' during the 83rd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. (Photo by Alessandra Tarantino/Invision/AP)

Directors Yuval Abraham, left, and Rachel Szor pose for photographers at the photo call for the film 'Naza' during the 83rd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

Robert Pattinson poses for photographers at the red carpet for the film 'Primetime' during the 83rd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (Photo by Alessandra Tarantino/Invision/AP)