The U.S. women’s basketball team exacted revenge over France, winning a World Championships quarterfinal 94-72 in Istanbul, two weeks after being upset by the French in a pre-Worlds exhibition.
Brittney Griner scored a game-high 17 points, adding five rebounds and two blocks. Tina Charles had 15 points, and Lindsay Whalen poured in 13. The Americans shot 71 percent, ran out to a 29-14 first-quarter lead and never looked back.
France shocked the U.S. 76-72 on Sept. 21, overcoming an 18-point deficit to deal the Americans their first defeat since 2011. The U.S. beat France in the London Olympic final by 36 points. Griner didn’t play in either of those games.
The U.S. will play longtime nemesis Australia in the semifinals Saturday. Australia is without its top two players from the London Olympics, Lauren Jackson and Liz Cambage, due to injuries.
The other semifinal pits Spain against Turkey.
The winner of Sunday’s final clinches a berth in the 2016 Olympics.