Mali shock Spain 82-73 to pull off Major FIBA World Cup Win
Mali has pulled off one of the biggest results of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup so far, beating Spain 82-73 in Berlin.
Spain came into the game after an impressive 83-53 win over Germany, but Mali completely changed the picture in Group A.
Spain struggled badly from the field, missing 42 shots, 18 of those 22 attempts from three-point range. Iyana Martín was their standout performer, scoring 20 points, but Spain could not find enough offense to match Mali’s intensity.
Mali caught fire from three-point range at exactly the right time, making six of seven attempts in the third quarter after going just 1-for-9 from deep in the first half.
Sika Koné was at the centre of the comeback, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Her performance also makes her the first player in Women’s World Cup history to record five consecutive double-doubles. Djeneba N’Diaye also scored 19 points for Mali.
For Koné, beating one of the tournament’s strongest teams meant something far bigger than a group-stage win.
“Spain is one of the best teams, so to be able to beat them is amazing.”
And when asked what the victory meant to Mali, she simply said:
“I mean, it’s everything to us.”
Mali had lost narrowly to Japan in their opening game, 102-97, but have now responded by beating Spain for their second-ever World Cup victory and their first against European opposition.
