Underdog Mali stun European runner-up Spain at Women's World Cup
At the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, Mali pulled off a stunning 82:73 upset over European runner-up Spain, despite being given just a 0.9% chance of winning beforehand. It marks only the second win in Mali's tournament history.
On Saturday, September 5, Mali's women's basketball team pulled off a major upset in Group A, defeating European runner-up Spain 82:73. Pre-match predictions had given the African side just a 0.9% chance of victory.
Spain had convincingly beaten host nation Germany 83:53 the previous day in a sold-out arena, but head coach Miguel Mendez cautioned afterward that fatigue could be a factor, since the team faced another game just 15 hours later. That caution proved warranted.
Mali outplayed Spain in nearly every aspect of the game, particularly excelling from three-point range, shooting 41% (9 of 22) compared to Spain's 18% (4 of 22). Two of Spain's top forwards, who had starred in the win over Germany, managed only four points each this time. Spain's top scorer was Megan DiLeo with 16 points.
Mali's success was driven by a standout duo who combined for 38 points. Sika Kone added 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Djeneba Ndiaye scored 19 points, including three made three-pointers.
The win holds special significance for Mali, which lost every game at the tournament in Sydney four years ago. The team's only previous World Cup victory came in 2010 in the Czech Republic, against Senegal.
Tournament format
Sixteen teams are competing in the World Cup, split into four groups playing a round-robin from September 4-7. Group winners advance directly to the quarterfinals, while second- and third-place teams will compete for the remaining quarterfinal spots on September 8-9. Quarterfinals are set for September 10, semifinals for September 12, and the medal games for September 13. Eight games will be broadcast on LTV7 and replay.lv.
