Record-setting Japan and Australia start women’s basketball World Cup with wins; US-China later
Saki Hayashi and Japan set records for three-pointers on the first day of the women’s basketball World Cup
BERLIN -- Saki Hayashi and Japan set records for three-pointers on the first day of the women’s basketball World Cup, while Australia also won its opening game on Friday.
Hayashi scored nine three-pointers to beat the previous record of eight as she helped Japan to a 102-97 win over Mali. Altogether, Japan scored 20 to beat its shared team record from 1994.
Mali led for most of the game before Mai Yamamoto brought Japan level for the first time at 79-79 with 6:30 left in the final quarter. Kokoro Tanaka completed the scoring with a free throw.
Japan next plays home team Germany on Saturday.
Aminata Sangare contributed 22 points for Mali. Her team had been looking for its second-ever win in World Cup play. The African nation beat Senegal in overtime in the 15th place game in the 2010 tournament. It lost all five games in the 2022 World Cup in Australia.
Steph Talbot scored 19 points as Australia defeated Puerto Rico 70-54 to get its campaign off to a winning start.
Australia lost its opening games at the last World Cup and at the Olympics, so the victory takes the pressure off coach Sandy Brondello’s team with the four group winners in the expanded 16-tournament progressing straight to the quarterfinals.
Australia next faces Turkey on Sunday.
The United States’ bid for a fifth consecutive title was to begin later Friday against a China team featuring some of the tallest women in the world. The 19-year-old Zhang Ziyu stands 7-foot-3 and will be joined by 6-10 Han Xu, already familiar to the U.S. team from her WNBA games with the New York Liberty.
The Americans will be missing four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, whom the team announced Monday would miss the World Cup along with Kelsey Plum. The young roster is led by the trio of Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese.
Their title defense begins at the 9,000 capacity Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin, the same venue where the U.S. defeated Russia in the final for the 1998 title, the country’s sixth.
Germany is hosting and playing in the tournament for the second time. The home team’s campaign was to begin later against Spain in the 14,000 capacity Berlin Arena, the main venue for this 20th edition of the tournament.
Also later, France was to tip off against Hungary, and South Korea was playing Nigeria at Berlin Arena.
Belgium faced Turkey at the Max-Schmeling-Halle, where the Czech Republic was to play Italy.
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