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Mali upsets Spain 82-73 at Women's Basketball World Cup
Mali achieved a historic victory at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Berlin, defeating Spain 82-73. This marks only the second win in the African nation's tournament history. Despite trailing by two points at halftime, Mali dominated the third quarter with a 31-19 run to take control of the match.
Sika Koné, playing for the Atlanta Dream, led Mali with 19 points and 10 rebounds, including crucial three-pointers during the decisive third-quarter surge. Teammate Djeneba N’Diaye also contributed 19 points. Spain struggled with fatigue and poor shooting accuracy, particularly from the three-point line, where they converted only 4 of 22 attempts.
The loss complicates Spain's path toward the medal rounds in Group A, where they face Japan next. The match also highlighted concerns regarding the tight tournament schedule, as the Spanish team played with less than 12 hours of rest between games.
Entities
Berlin · FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup · Mali Women's National Basketball Team · Max-Schmeling-Halle · Miguel Méndez · Sika Koné · Spain women's national basketball team
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Mali defeated Spain 82-73 in a 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup Group A match. gijonbasket.com · www.cope.es
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Iyana Martín scored 14 of Spain's final 16 points. gijonbasket.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Spain's coach, Miguel Méndez, called for FIBA to review the tournament schedules. www.ilpallonegonfiato.it
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The match took place at the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin. www.cope.es
- [● 2 SOURCES] Spain's players had less than 12 hours of rest between their game against Germany and the game against Mali. www.ilpallonegonfiato.it · www.cope.es