Business & Finance Club - CZECH REPUBLIC - Sue Bird handed the world championship trophy to Tamika Catchings and the two embraced, sharing a large grin.

The only blemish on their distinguished U.S. basketball career was now gone after an 89-69 victory over the Czech Republic in the women's basketball title game Sunday night.

It was one sweet win for Bird, Catchings, and Diana Taurasi, who were on the U.S. team that finished a disappointing third in the 2006 worlds.

The three were determined not to let that happen again.

"There's definitely a feeling of satisfaction, redemption," Bird said. "It was tough losing in Brazil, it was very difficult. We were definitely on a mission. It started in the Olympics, that's what fueled us then, but this being the same tournament we lost in, we wanted to get that gold back."

Angel McCoughtry scored 18 points, Taurasi added 16, and Bird had 11 for the Americans, who now have won the world championship eight times -- the previous time being Catchings' first in 2002.

"This one was definitely sweeter," Catchings said. "Knowing what we went through in 2006 to erase that made this special."

To win the gold, in a similar situation to the men's team that won in Turkey, the U.S. had to get past the host nation in the final.

The Czechs celebrated their second-place finish as if they won. They danced and sprayed champagne after the medal ceremony to the delight of the sold-out crowd of 6,024, which included President Vaclav Klaus.

"This medal is a great success for us," coach Lubor Blazek said through a translator. "We're happy that we managed to return Czech women's basketball to this level."

Spain also was elated after it beat Belarus 77-68 for the bronze, earning its first medal at the women's worlds.

This was the first time that the Czechs had advanced to the medal round since dissolving from Slovakia in 1993. The former Czechoslovakia won two silver medals and four bronzes from 1953-1975.