The Japanese staff acknowledges followers after the ladies’s World Cup basketball match between Mali and Japan, in Berlin Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. (Andreas Gora/dpa through AP)
BERLIN— Saki Hayashi and Japan set information for three-pointers on the primary day of the Fiba Ladies’s basketball World Cup, whereas Australia additionally gained its opening recreation on Friday.
Hayashi scored 9 three-pointers to beat the earlier document of eight as she helped Japan to a 102-97 win over Mali. Altogether, Japan scored 20 to beat its shared staff document from 1994.
Mali led for a lot of the recreation earlier than Mai Yamamoto introduced Japan stage for the primary time at 79-79 with 6:30 left within the closing quarter. Kokoro Tanaka accomplished the scoring with a free throw.
Japan subsequent performs dwelling staff Germany on Saturday.
Aminata Sangare contributed 22 factors for Mali. Her staff had been searching for its second-ever win in World Cup play. The African nation beat Senegal in additional time within the fifteenth place recreation within the 2010 match. It misplaced all 5 video games within the 2022 World Cup in Australia.
Australia begins with a win
Australian gamers stroll off the court docket afte the Ladies’s Basketball World Cup match between Australia and Puerto Rico in Berlin, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. (AP Picture/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Steph Talbot scored 19 factors as Australia defeated Puerto Rico 70-54 to get its marketing campaign off to a profitable begin.
Australia misplaced its opening video games on the final World Cup and on the Olympics, so the victory takes the strain off coach Sandy Brondello’s staff with the 4 group winners within the expanded 16-tournament progressing straight to the quarterfinals.
Australia subsequent faces Turkey on Sunday.
Group USA up subsequent
America’ bid for a fifth consecutive title was to start later Friday towards a China staff that includes a few of the tallest girls on the earth. The 19-year-old Zhang Ziyu stands 7-foot-3 and shall be joined by 6-10 Han Xu, already acquainted to the U.S. staff from her WNBA video games with the New York Liberty.
The Individuals shall be lacking four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, whom the staff introduced Monday would miss the World Cup together with Kelsey Plum. The younger roster is led by the trio of Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese.
Their title protection begins on the 9,000 capability Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin, the identical venue the place the U.S. defeated Russia within the closing for the 1998 title, the nation’s sixth.
Germany is internet hosting and taking part in within the match for the second time. The house staff’s marketing campaign was to start later towards Spain within the 14,000 capability Berlin Enviornment, the principle venue for this twentieth version of the match.
Additionally later, France was to tip off towards Hungary, and South Korea was taking part in Nigeria at Berlin Enviornment.
Belgium confronted Turkey on the Max-Schmeling-Halle, the place the Czech Republic was to play Italy.
