The women’s FIBA World Cup continued with several group-stage matches that determined qualification for the knockout rounds. Host Germany defeated Mali 83-58 in a dominant performance at Berlin Arena, securing its place in the quarterfinals. The German team, led by Frieda Bühner with 21 points and Luisa Geiselsöder with 17, never faced serious jeopardy despite initial concerns about potential elimination. Following the contest, German players celebrated with the crowd before Coach Olaf Lange stressed the need for rapid recovery, noting that preparations would resume early the following morning.
France delivered a dominant performance against Nigeria, winning 111-56 while establishing a new World Cup milestone. The French team set a tournament record by making 22 three-pointers in a single game, surpassing Japan’s previous record of 20 three-pointers set earlier in the week. Gabby Williams paced France with 25 points and 6 rebounds. The French squad, which had already secured quarterfinal qualification before this contest, finished group play undefeated.
In other significant results, Spain advanced directly to the quarterfinals by topping Japan 79-59, with Iyana Martin contributing 20 points. Belgium also qualified directly by defeating Australia 80-68, with Emma Meesseman recording 22 points and 10 rebounds. Belgium’s Julie Allemand achieved an all-time World Cup record with 111 career assists. Hungary advanced to the playoffs with an 82-73 victory over South Korea, while Puerto Rico secured a playoff spot by eliminating Turkey 75-71 in a comeback effort.
The tournament structure called for the four group winners to advance directly to the quarterfinals beginning Thursday, while second and third-place finishers would compete in playoff matches on Tuesday or Wednesday to determine which teams advance. Teams finishing last in their groups faced elimination from the competition.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI