Puerto Rico pushed China to the final possessions, but Han Xu decided the fourth quarter.

She scored 14 points in the period and repeatedly answered Puerto Rico’s pressure before Xinyu Luo’s corner three created the separation China needed to survive and advance to face France.

Puerto Rico stretches China from the start

Puerto Rico’s offensive idea was clear immediately.

It opened in five-out spacing, trying to pull Xu away from the basket and create driving lanes behind her. San Antonio took advantage first, scoring Puerto Rico’s opening six points and consistently looking to turn the corner before China could establish its preferred defensive shape.

China answered with shooting. It opened 4-of-4 from three and used that early perimeter efficiency to stay ahead despite Puerto Rico’s pressure after made baskets.

The complexion changed when Zhang entered for the final four minutes of the quarter. China shifted into its zone, and Puerto Rico initially struggled to solve it, committing three turnovers during that stretch. All seven of Puerto Rico’s late points came either in transition or from baseline out-of-bounds situations rather than sustained half-court offense.

China led 24-21 after one, having made four threes while also holding a 12-6 advantage in points in the paint.

Puerto Rico starts making the zone move

Puerto Rico spent the second quarter searching for ways to change the geometry at both ends.

Defensively, it mixed coverages. In man-to-man, Puerto Rico switched away from the ball to preserve size closer to the basket, while also showing a hybrid 1-3-1/3-2 zone. Offensively, the adjustment against Zhang was even more important.

When she returned with 4:17 remaining, Puerto Rico immediately doubled her on catches inside. Zhang passed well out of the pressure, but Puerto Rico was also beginning to understand how to attack China’s zone more effectively. Instead of driving directly into its length, the ball moved through the high post and short corner, forcing Zhang to cover more ground and make decisions away from the basket.

Back-to-back Puerto Rico threes briefly produced a one-point lead, and the perimeter contrast had shifted dramatically from the opening minutes. China went without a three after the 9:32 mark of the quarter, while Puerto Rico reached halftime 4-of-9 from deep.

The game itself became increasingly messy, with 10 combined turnovers in the second quarter, but San Antonio remained the most consistent Puerto Rican creator. She had 14 points and two steals at halftime, while Shuyu Yang was driving China with 12 points and six assists.

China led only 41-40.

Neither team can solve the half court

The third quarter became a grind.

Puerto Rico turned the ball over on its first two possessions, while McGee-Stafford settled for difficult jumpers against Xu rather than consistently forcing the defense to move. More than four minutes produced only a 3-2 Puerto Rico edge, and neither side generated sustained quality offense.

China used Zhang selectively, even checking her in specifically for baseline out-of-bounds possessions. She scored four points directly from those situations, offering China an efficient way to use her physical advantage without leaving her exposed for long defensive stretches.

Puerto Rico answered by going to a 2-3 zone when Zhang returned late in the quarter. She scored three points in just over a minute before checking back out, continuing a fascinating game of tactical substitutions and counter-adjustments.

San Antonio buried a three late to send Puerto Rico into the fourth ahead 53-52.

Han Xu decides the fourth

Xu’s three at 7:54 was China’s first since early in the second quarter and started a 5-0 run. McGee-Stafford answered with an and-one, but Xu scored again as the roller to restore a four-point lead with 4:17 remaining.

Coming out of a timeout, San Antonio’s defensive activity helped force consecutive Chinese turnovers and fuel a 4-0 response that tied the game. Xu broke the tie herself with another three at 2:50.

From there, Puerto Rico’s execution began to unravel. Guirantes committed back-to-back turnovers and followed them with a difficult shot, allowing China to finally open some space. Luo then hit the corner three with 1:40 remaining that pushed the margin to six.

San Antonio found McGee-Stafford to cut it to four, and a loose Xu turnover gave Guirantes the chance to make it a two-point game with 25.7 seconds remaining. Yang calmly made both free throws at the other end, and Puerto Rico used too much time on its final possession to create another realistic comeback opportunity.

China survives

Xu finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds, including 14 in the fourth quarter, while Yang added 15 points and 11 assists and Zhang produced 13 points in only nine minutes.

China advances to face France in the quarterfinals.

Puerto Rico’s run also deserves to be remembered for what Trinity San Antonio produced in its final game. She finished with 24 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and five steals, becoming the first player in Women’s World Cup history to record that combination in a single game. The numbers were extraordinary, but they only begin to capture her impact.

San Antonio was Puerto Rico’s creator, disruptor and emotional engine, repeatedly dragging them back into a game that could easily have slipped away. Puerto Rico leaves the tournament just three points short of the quarterfinals, but San Antonio leaves having written her name into World Cup history.

There are nights when basketball seems to resist you.

You know what you want to do. You know the reads, the actions, the places you are supposed to reach. You care desperately about doing it well. Yet for reasons both tactical and human, the game keeps pulling everything away from you. The pass arrives a fraction late. The lane closes. The frustration grows. The basket seems smaller.

For three quarters, Italy lived inside that feeling.

Australia was better. Clearly better. The Opals attacked Italy’s defense through the pick-and-roll, consistently touched the paint, moved the ball beautifully and turned those advantages into trips to the free-throw line. Isobel Borlase produced a magnificent performance, and even after Ezi Magbegor left the game in the first quarter and did not return, Australia kept finding solutions and built a lead that reached 26.

Italy looked frustrated, disconnected and, at times, almost trapped inside the game it desperately wanted to play.

Then Italy scored 31 points in the fourth quarter.

And with 4.2 seconds remaining, Francesca Pasa ran almost the entire length of the floor, put a layup off the glass to tie the game, and watched the ball roll around the rim before falling out.

Australia survived, 82-80, and deservedly moves into the quarterfinals.

Italy goes home.

Basketball can be cruel enough for both of those things to be true at once.

Australia finds the game Italy cannot stop

With Alanna Smith already ruled out for the rest of the tournament, Australia entered another elimination game without one of its most important half-court pieces. The opening possession nevertheless established exactly what the Opals wanted, using a well-designed set to create a low-post touch for Magbegor and an immediate basket.

Italy picked up full court from the beginning and searched for Lorela Cubaj inside, while both teams attacked quickly enough to produce a 7-6 Italian lead in less than two minutes. That early success did not last. Australia began getting into the paint far too comfortably, with its pick-and-roll offense creating problems possession after possession and its empty-side actions proving particularly difficult for Italy to contain.

Magbegor left the game with 5:51 remaining in the first quarter and did not return. Losing another major frontcourt player could easily have disrupted Australia, but instead the Opals produced an 8-0 run that forced an Italian timeout.

Italy’s own problems were growing. Matilde Villa was barely involved early, the half-court offense struggled to create clean advantages, and Italy went almost five minutes without scoring. Even when it shifted into a 2-3 zone late in the quarter, unnecessary fouls kept giving Australia another route to points.

Six of Italy’s 13 first-quarter points came after turnovers. In the settled half court, very little was working. Australia went 7-of-10 on twos and 12-of-15 at the line, while Italy managed only 3-of-12 inside the arc.

The Opals led 26-13.

Borlase punishes every opening

Italy finally found something in the second quarter.

Pasa hit an early three that helped trigger a 7-0 run, cutting the deficit to eight and forcing Australia to stop the game. Italy leaned increasingly on its 2-3 zone, trying to change the rhythm of an Australian offense that had been finding the paint too easily.

Australia kept finding the next answer.

Alex Fowler stopped the run with a basket, and the Opals continued sharing the ball well enough to create closeout after closeout. When Italy committed extra attention inside, Australia moved the defense and attacked the next rotation before it could recover.

The middle of the quarter became a duel of individual bursts. Costanza Verona scored six straight to pull Italy within seven, only for Borlase to respond with six consecutive points of her own and restore a 13-point margin.

Borlase was spectacular.

She reached halftime with 23 points, attacking every opening Italy gave her and becoming the scoring engine of an Australian offense that rarely allowed the defense to settle. Australia had also attempted 22 free throws by the break, converting 18, compared with Italy’s 8-of-10.

That disparity was partly the product of Italy’s growing frustration. The Italians were a step late defensively too often, and Australia kept turning those small delays into contact, rotations and high-value opportunities.

The halftime score was 48-33.

Australia had complete command.

Italy reaches the point where basketball feels impossibly hard

The third quarter looked as though it might end the game completely.

Australia opened with five straight points while Italy immediately added more turnovers. Zitina Aokuso gave the Opals another imposing presence around the basket, and Australian guards continued reaching the rim without enough resistance.

Australia went to its own 2-3 zone defensively, and Italy struggled badly to make it move. The ball was not shifting defenders enough, good looks were difficult to generate and the margin eventually reached 26.

This was the part of the night that felt heavier than a tactical problem.

Italy had spent the tournament showing exactly who it was: physical, stubborn, intelligent and absolutely willing to drag more talented opponents into uncomfortable basketball. It had pushed USA to the final possessions. It had found ways to survive games without beautiful offense. It had made people believe.

Now nothing seemed to work.

Yet Italy closed the quarter on a 7-2 run.

The score was still 69-49. Twenty points remained between the teams. There was no sensible reason to believe one final quarter could undo everything that had happened during the first three.

Italy apparently did not care about sensible reasons.

Thirty-one points of refusal

The fourth quarter began with Italy playing as though the previous 30 minutes had never happened.

Vittoria Blasigh hit a three during a 9-2 opening run that cut the margin to 13. The defensive intensity rose sharply, Australia began turning the ball over and possessions that had once ended with comfortable Opals attacks suddenly became difficult.

Italy kept coming.

The threes started falling. Drives reached the basket. Cubaj and Olbis Futo André supplied important scores from the frontcourt. The pressure that had looked ineffective earlier in the evening now produced hesitation.

Most importantly, Italy stopped looking like a team burdened by everything that had gone wrong.

It looked free.

Verona eventually buried a three with 1:09 remaining to tie the game at 77-77.

A team that had trailed by 26 had erased every point of it.

Australia deserves enormous credit for what happened next because surviving a comeback like that requires its own kind of composure. Borlase found Aokuso on the roll to restore the lead, and after an Italian miss, Australia successfully challenged a call before Sami Whitcomb Wilson went to the line and made both free throws.

With 8.3 seconds left, Australia led by four.

And then came the moment that may stay with me longer than anything else in this game.

Vittoria Blasigh and the reason we love this game

Blasigh is 22 years old.

She gives Italy an extraordinary 13 points in only 15 minutes, making all three of her attempts from beyond the arc. With Italy down four and its World Cup almost over, she received the ball after the timeout and launched from well behind the three-point line.

It went in.

Of course it went in.

For a fraction of a second, she celebrated so naturally that she almost lost track of the defensive assignment waiting at the other end. Not because she did not understand the situation. Not because she did not care.

Because she is 22 years old, had just made an outrageous shot in an elimination game at the World Cup, and joy arrived before thought could catch it.

That smile was basketball.

There is something beautiful about the imperfection of that moment. Elite sport often asks us to talk about players as if they are machines built to execute. Every rotation must be perfect, every emotional response controlled, every possession processed instantly.

But the whole reason any of this matters is because people care.

They dream about these shots. They spend years trying to become good enough to take them. They feel fear, pressure, frustration and joy, sometimes within seconds of one another.

Blasigh made the shot because she was good enough to take it.

She smiled because she loved what she had just done.

Basketball should always have room for both.

Millimeters

Borlase split the free throws at the other end, leaving Italy down two with 4.2 seconds remaining.

Pasa took the ball and ran.

There was no time for an elaborate final set or a sequence of counters. She went the length of the floor, reached the basket and put the ball softly off the backboard.

For a moment, it was going in.

The ball reached the rim, rolled toward the basket and seemed ready to drop. Five more minutes were sitting there. A 26-point comeback, overtime, one more chance for Italy to continue this impossible night.

Then the ball came out.

And the pain of that moment did not belong only to Italy.

Borlase, the 21-year-old hero of the night, raised her arms because Australia had won. She had scored 30 points, carried the Opals through enormous adversity and earned every bit of that celebration. But look around her and the reaction is almost extraordinary. Australian players seem momentarily perplexed themselves, happy to have survived but still absorbing what they had just seen. For a second, winner and loser appeared caught inside the same disbelief.

On the sideline, Sandy Brondello had her hands on her head.

It was the reaction of almost everyone watching.

How did that not go in?

That is part of the strange beauty of sport. Australia had done its job. It deserved to celebrate. Italy had done almost everything required to create one of the great comebacks of the tournament. Pasa had reached the basket and given the ball every opportunity to fall.

And still, the basketball gods offered no overtime.

Only the rim.

Only the ball rolling out.

Only two teams standing there trying to process what had just happened.

There are misses where the process is poor, where the defense forces the wrong decision or a possession falls apart. This was not one of them. Pasa attacked the moment and gave Italy exactly the chance it needed. The difference between another five minutes and elimination was measured in millimeters.

Only the best players in the world ever earn the right to take a shot carrying that much weight.

And sometimes, as spectators, we are lucky simply to be there for it.

To watch a game like this, to feel the hope build, to experience the disbelief of the comeback and then share that final second with players on both sides is one of the privileges of loving basketball. It does not matter whether it happens at a World Cup, in a local gym or on an empty court somewhere nobody is watching.

Sometimes we are lucky enough to be part of something.

Basketball gives us those moments.

Australia earned this

None of Italy’s fourth-quarter magic should obscure how well Australia played.

The Opals were the superior team for three quarters and created their advantage through excellent basketball. Their pick-and-roll offense repeatedly broke down Italy’s defense, the ball moved well enough to create favorable closeouts and their aggression generated 37 free-throw attempts, of which they made 27.

Australia finished with 25 assists, another reflection of how well the offense operated for most of the night.

Borlase was exceptional with 30 points, carrying an enormous offensive load after Magbegor left the game. Aokuso added 15 points and six rebounds, while Steph Talbot produced 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

Australia also deserves credit for surviving the psychological force of that fourth quarter. Once a 26-point advantage disappears and the opponent ties the game, the previous three quarters no longer protect you. Australia still found the roll for Aokuso, defended the next possession, won the challenge and made enough free throws to escape.

The Opals earned their quarterfinal place.

Italy made us believe

Verona finished with 23 points. Blasigh produced 13 in those remarkable 15 minutes. Italy somehow scored 80 even with Cecilia Zandalasini and Villa, its two leading scorers, combining for only 14.

But numbers cannot really explain why this one hurts.

Italy’s World Cup ended on a missed layup after it had spent an entire quarter refusing the obvious ending.

For three quarters, the game seemed to be taking something away from them. The offense would not cooperate. Australia was better. Frustration was visible. The margin kept growing.

That feeling exists at every level of basketball. Sometimes you love the game desperately and it does not seem to love you back.

The special teams keep playing anyway.

Italy did more than keep playing. It punched back against that feeling until an impossible game was tied with 69 seconds remaining. A 22-year-old buried a shot from another postcode and smiled like a child who had just discovered basketball for the first time. Pasa ran the floor with the season in her hands and came within the width of a rim of giving them five more minutes.

I am sure none of this will mean much to the Italian players tonight.

They wanted to win.

They came close enough to touch it.

And then it disappeared.

But there will be another tournament. Blasigh will be older. Villa will have another season behind her. This young group will have lived through what happened here and carry it with them.

And when Italy takes the floor again, there will be people waiting to watch.

Because this team made its country proud.

Because it made the rest of us believe.

And because after a game like this, how could you not want to see what they do next?

And then there were eight.

Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Spain, USA, (China/Puerto Rico and Italy/Australia) have already booked their places in the FIBA Women’s World Cup quarterfinals.

From here, the tournament changes again. There is no next round guaranteed, no opportunity to recover from one poor stretch and no room for an opponent to expose the same weakness twice. Four games will decide which four teams remain in the medal hunt.

Here is what to expect from every possible quarterfinal matchup.

USA vs Hungary

Hungary produced an excellent team performance against Japan to reach the quarterfinals. Réka Lelik carried the offense early, Virág Takács-Kiss took over after halftime and the Hungarians found enough answers even without needing a dominant game from Dorka Juhász.

Their reward is USA.

The matchup presents a very different physical challenge from the ones Hungary faced against Korea and Japan. USA has tremendous size and length across the floor, with no player under 180 cm, and can combine that physical profile with aggressive ball pressure. That is particularly concerning for a Hungarian team averaging 21.5 turnovers per game, the highest mark in the tournament.

The turnover battle could decide whether this remains competitive. USA should have opportunities to pressure Hungary’s guards and make the first pass into the offense difficult. Hungary needs to avoid allowing those mistakes to become transition chances because USA has looked considerably less comfortable when forced to generate everything against a set half-court defense. Italy already showed how dramatically the American offense can change when easy points disappear and possessions become more physical.

For Hungary, the challenge is not simply having Juhász and Takács-Kiss available inside. It is finding them in advantageous situations. USA has the bodies to defend both without compromising the rest of the floor, so Hungary’s guards must handle the pressure, create clean passing angles and get the offense far enough into its actions for that frontcourt pairing to matter.

If Hungary can protect the ball and force USA to spend most of the afternoon attacking five defenders, there is at least a route toward making the game uncomfortable. If the turnovers start piling up and USA gets into transition, that route becomes extremely narrow.

USA has the clear edge.

China vs France

China beats Puerto Rico, and it will once again find itself among the final eight of women’s basketball.

Waiting there would be a French team that has yet to face a sustained challenge in this tournament.

China possesses something no other team can quite replicate: a frontcourt featuring Han Xu and Zhang Ziyu, two players over 205 cm who can fundamentally alter how opponents defend. Han combines height with mobility and skill, while Zhang changes the geography of possessions simply by establishing position near the basket.

The question is whether China can consistently access those weapons against one of the tournament’s most disruptive defenses.

France owns the second-best defensive rating in the competition, while China sits second-to-last in turnover percentage. That is a dangerous combination. France pressures the ball, closes passing lanes and can turn one loose entry into points at the other end before China has any chance to establish its preferred defense.

Zhang’s minutes create another fascinating tactical question. China regularly uses a 2-3 zone when she is on the floor, but France has shot an extraordinary 48.5 percent from three and is lethal in transition. France will want to attack before the zone can establish its shape, and if the threes continue falling once China gets set, Zhang’s impact can be pulled farther away from the areas where she is most valuable.

China nevertheless has tools that make this matchup different from anything France has faced so far. If Han and Zhang can force France to alter its normal defensive rules and China can keep the turnover count manageable, there are ways to create genuine problems.

France would still enter as the clear favorite, but China has a physical variable that cannot simply be ignored.

Belgium vs Germany

Germany made history against Korea, reaching the FIBA Women’s World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in program history.

Now comes Belgium.

There are interesting similarities between these teams. Both are comfortable running when transition is available but do not depend on it. Both can operate deep into the half court, use constant ball and player movement and search patiently for the next advantage rather than treating the first action as the final one.

That should make execution especially important. The game may come down less to which team creates the first advantage and more to which one recognizes what comes next. Belgium has been exceptional at making the next pass, moving defenders twice and turning small openings into high-value shots. Germany showed against Korea that it can do something similar, particularly once its high-low game and frontcourt passing became central to the offense.

The individual battle between Emma Meesseman and Nyara Sabally should carry significant weight. Sabally gives Germany the mobility and physicality to challenge Meesseman in different areas of the floor, but defending Belgium’s star is never simply a one-on-one assignment. Meesseman’s ability to facilitate, screen, relocate and punish help means Germany has to defend everything happening around her as well.

Belgium’s guard play gives it another important advantage. Julie Allemand and Julie Vanloo can control possessions in different ways, and Belgium’s ability to create from the perimeter could become decisive if Germany succeeds in matching the frontcourt battle.

Still, Germany will have its home crowd, a physical profile capable of making Belgium work and the confidence of knowing it has beaten this core before, winning 83-69 in the Olympic group stage.

Belgium should be favored, but this could be one of the trickier quarterfinals on the board.

Australia vs Spain

Australia survives Italy, and the quarterfinal against Spain becomes another battle over who decides where the game is played.

Australia wants to run. The Opals are at their best when rebounds and turnovers become immediate attacks, allowing their athleticism to create advantages before the defense can organize. Their half-court offense has been less reliable, and the absence of Alanna Smith makes those possessions even more challenging.

Spain can play fast when the opportunity is there, but it does not need to. It is perfectly comfortable getting into five-on-five offense and using well-designed actions to manipulate a set defense. That makes pace control central to the matchup. Australia needs enough transition opportunities to avoid spending the entire afternoon solving Spain possession by possession.

Spain’s set offense could also test Australia’s concentration. It has repeatedly used screening combinations, off-ball movement and counters to create good shots when the first action is covered. Australia will need to remain physical without losing connectivity, because one missed switch or late rotation can allow Spain to turn a defended first option into an easy second one.

At the other end, Australia has often generated its best half-court offense by punishing teams physically with wings and bigs in the post. Spain has the size to match those actions, which could force Australia’s guards to create more than usual if the transition game is limited.

That is another area where Spain may hold an advantage.

Iyana Martín has played like one of the best guards in the tournament and gives Spain a reliable creator when possessions deteriorate. In a quarterfinal that could come down to a handful of late-clock decisions, that matters enormously.

Australia has the athleticism to change the game in transition. Spain has the half-court tools to slow it back down.

This one has every chance to be decided in the dying moments.

Hungary knew exactly what Japan was going to try to take away.

These teams had met during the World Cup qualifiers, when Dorka Juhász overwhelmed Japan with 35 points and nine rebounds in a 77-65 Hungarian win. This time, Japan built much of its defense around denying the same kind of influence.

Hungary simply found other answers. Réka Lelik carried the offense early, Virág Takács-Kiss took over the third quarter and Hungary’s perimeter shooting punished Japan whenever its defense committed too much attention elsewhere.

The reward is a place in the quarterfinals against USA.

Japan takes away the first option, Hungary keeps moving

Hungary opened the game 7-0 and quickly showed it had no interest in forcing the obvious matchup. Japan doubled inside and attacked Hungary’s frontcourt in space, but Hungary kept the ball moving. Lelik became the early beneficiary, scoring eight first-quarter points on 4-of-5 shooting.

At the other end, Hungary had a thoughtful plan for Japan’s pick-and-roll game. It used late switches, with the guard veering back toward the popping big while Hungary’s big took the ball-handler, helping deny one of the spacing advantages Japan was trying to create. The scrambling behind those coverages was strong as well, preventing many of the easy looks Japan normally generates once the defense has been shifted.

Japan still found some clever solutions. It attacked Juhász on closeouts, drove aggressively toward the rim and used the gravity of its shooters to open slips in off-ball actions. The process was often good, but the finishing was not. Japan shot just 22 percent in the opening quarter, while Hungary made 53 percent of its attempts and led 20-12 despite Japan holding a 4-1 advantage on the offensive glass.

Japan’s pressure finally creates a game

Japan continued changing the picture defensively in the second quarter. Side pick-and-rolls were blitzed, full-court pressure appeared after dead balls and Japan briefly went bigger with Maki Takada and Ramu Tokashiki together.

For much of the half, Hungary handled those adjustments well. The ball moved quickly, Japan was repeatedly forced into extra rotations and Hungary consistently found perimeter looks when the defense overcommitted. Across the full first half, Hungary went 8-of-17 from three, a major reason it was able to stay in front even as Japan increased the pressure.

Then a Hungarian technical foul helped open the door for Japan. Hungary committed four turnovers during the stretch that followed, and Japan finally found the transition opportunities it had been searching for. Stephanie Mawuli hit a three on the break, while Japan’s pressure began creating the faster, less controlled possessions it needed.

The most difficult moment of the half had nothing to do with the score. Saki Hayashi left the game after suffering what appeared to be a serious arm injury and did not return. It was a painful way for her World Cup to end after one of the tournament’s most memorable individual performances, when she made nine threes against Mali to set the Women’s World Cup record. Whatever comes next, she leaves this tournament having put her name in its history, and hopefully her recovery is a smooth one.

Japan continued pushing after her departure. A sequence of missed free throws still produced second chances, and the deficit fell to just three before Ágnes Studer hit a three at the halftime buzzer.

Hungary led 37-34 despite Japan shooting only 10-of-33 from the field for the half. Japan had compensated by getting to the line, making 10 of 14 free throws compared with Hungary’s 3-of-6, while Hungary’s 8-of-17 shooting from three provided the scoring efficiency that kept it ahead.

Takács-Kiss changes the second half

Hungary started the third quarter the same way it had started the first, with a 7-0 run.

This time, the separation came through Takács-Kiss. She had gone scoreless in the first half, but Hungary began actively searching for her after the break and she responded with 10 points in the quarter.

Japan could not generate enough offense to match her production. It scored only four points over the first seven-plus minutes of the period, and although Norika Konno eventually provided six points during a late response, Hungary had already rebuilt a comfortable advantage.

The foul line widened it further. Japan committed several avoidable fouls, and Hungary punished them by going 11-of-12 at the stripe in the quarter. What had been a three-point game at halftime became a 58-45 Hungarian lead entering the fourth.

Takács-Kiss had given Hungary exactly what it needed.

Hungary keeps Japan from finding another run

Japan’s best route back remained speed, and Hungary did an excellent job preventing transition possessions from developing throughout the game. When necessary, it used fouls to stop breaks before Japan could exploit an unsettled defense.

Japan still searched for solutions in the half court, including a 1-4 alignment into central pick-and-roll with smart cutting around the action. But its scoring never became consistent enough. Hungary’s defense kept forcing difficult stretches, and its bench was also quick to use timeouts whenever Japan appeared capable of putting consecutive possessions together.

Takács-Kiss hit a three to stretch the lead to 17 with 5:26 remaining. Konno answered from deep, prompting another Hungarian timeout, before Juhász contributed six important fourth-quarter points. Dóra Kányási then buried the three with 2:54 left that effectively ended Japan’s hopes.

Hungary had enough answers

Lelik finished with 23 points and eight rebounds, setting the tone when Hungary needed someone else to lead the offense. Takács-Kiss scored all 17 of her points in the second half and added eight rebounds, becoming the decisive scorer after halftime.

Hungary’s shooting was another major separator. It finished 11-of-25 from three, while Japan went just 7-of-33. Kokoro Tanaka was Japan’s only double-digit scorer, while Rui Machida turned back the clock as a creator with 12 assists.

Japan had stretches of excellent basketball. Its pressure changed the second quarter, its movement created intelligent openings and it continued searching for ways to attack Hungary’s defensive coverages. The shots simply did not fall often enough to sustain those stretches.

Hungary moves on to face USA in the quarterfinals.

For Japan, the World Cup ends here, with Hayashi’s record-setting performance against Mali remaining one of the unforgettable moments of its run. Hopefully, the next news about her is good news.

Germany spent part of the first half playing away from its clearest advantage, then corrected course decisively.

Korea’s pressure created some early discomfort, and Germany briefly helped by settling for too many perimeter shots. Once the hosts started consistently getting the ball closer to the basket, using cuts, high-low actions and their frontcourt mobility to attack Korea’s coverages, the game changed completely.

Germany went just 5-of-25 from three but shot 63 percent on twos, a contrast that captured where the game was won and sent the hosts into the first Women’s World Cup quarterfinal in program history.

Korea creates an early problem

Germany opened 5-0, but Haeran Lee quickly gave Korea a foothold by scoring its first eight points and helping tie the game at 8-8. Korea’s pressure also began disrupting Germany’s initiation, pushing the hosts away from the areas where their physical advantage mattered most.

Frieda Bühner steadied Germany with a three, free throws and attacks to the basket, helping build a 23-14 lead after one. Korea responded again early in the second through Leeseul Kang, whose eight straight points, including back-to-back threes, cut the margin to 27-22.

That was the point where Germany’s shot selection became the issue. It was taking too many perimeter attempts and allowing Korea to stay close despite owning a much clearer advantage elsewhere.

The high-low game breaks Korea open

Germany began attacking much more directly. The ball started going inside, cuts came behind Korea’s double teams and the connection between Bühner and Marie Gülich became the centerpiece.

Back-to-back high-low actions produced four straight Gülich points, and Germany later returned to the same concept with Gülich cutting down from the elbow for another finish. Korea tried to crowd those catches, but once the second defender committed, Germany consistently found the next pass before the defense could recover.

The lead grew to 46-29 by halftime, with Gülich scoring 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting and Germany holding a 28-12 advantage in points in the paint.

The important part was not simply that Germany was bigger. It had started using that advantage with precision.

Korea changes the coverage, not the problem

Korea spent the second half cycling through answers. It opened with an active zone that collapsed hard toward Germany’s frontcourt, then returned to man-to-man, mixed in doubles and kept changing the defensive picture.

Germany continued moving the defense, making the next pass and reaching productive scoring areas without relying on the three-ball. The margin reached 61-36 midway through the third, while Lina Sontag and Clara Bielefeld added steals that turned stops into easier offense.

By the end of the period, Germany led 68-40. The fourth became about finishing professionally rather than solving anything new, with Luisa Geiselsöder remaining efficient, Nyara Sabally, Sontag and Bühner continuing to contribute around the basket, and Alexandra Wilke adding a three and an and-one.

Germany closed out a 94-56 win without allowing the game to regain any tension.

Germany’s balance tells the story

Gülich led the way with 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting, adding five rebounds and three assists. Bühner scored 17, Geiselsöder added 12 on 6-of-9 shooting, and Sabally produced 10 points, five rebounds and six assists. Leonie Fiebich affected the game everywhere despite scoring only eight, finishing with 11 rebounds, four assists and three blocks.

Lee was excellent for Korea with 21 points on 10-of-13 shooting, while Kang added 17, but there was too little offense beyond them to keep pace.

Germany also finished with 30 assists against only seven turnovers, another reflection of how cleanly it played once the offense began consistently reaching the right areas.

The defending European champions now wait in the quarterfinals. Belgium will enter as favorites, but Germany has legitimate ways to make the matchup difficult through its physicality, versatility and ability to create from multiple positions. There is also recent history between the teams, with Germany beating Belgium 83-69 during the Olympic group stage.

That result guarantees nothing, but Germany has already shown it can hurt this Belgian core and now gets the chance to do it again with a semifinal place on the line.

Only two quarterfinal places remain, and Italy, Australia, Puerto Rico and China have all reached the point where there is nothing left to protect and nowhere left to recover. Win, and the World Cup continues. Lose, and the tournament is over.

The two games could hardly present more different tactical questions. Italy vs Australia is a battle over pace, with Italy wanting to drag the game into the half court and Australia looking to run before the defense is set. Puerto Rico vs China is about whether disruption can neutralize China’s physical advantage.

Two games, two quarterfinal places, and very little separating the teams.

Italy vs Australia

Australia entered the final day of the group stage playing Belgium for first place and, one loss later, now finds itself here. Waiting for the Opals is an Italy team that has already shown it can make life extremely uncomfortable for anyone, including USA.

The first battle is pace. Italy wants a slower, physical half-court game where its defense can stay connected, switching can remove first options and every Australian possession has to work deeper into the clock. Australia is much more dangerous when it can attack early and let its athleticism create advantages before the defense is organized.

That puts a premium on Italy’s transition defense. Australia also loves quick-hitting actions designed to create immediate openings, and if Italy can anticipate those and force the Opals deeper into possessions, the game begins to look much more favorable for the Italians.

Then there is the wing matchup between Steph Talbot and Cecilia Zandalasini, which could become one of the most important individual battles of the day. Both influence far more than the scoring column, and whichever one is able to impose herself more consistently could tilt a game where the margins should be extremely small.

Italy has already shown it can survive ugly possessions, defend through contact and keep games where it wants them, which gives the Italians a very slight edge.

Puerto Rico vs China

Puerto Rico was not supposed to be here, but it beat Türkiye in the decisive group-stage game and earned another night with its World Cup alive. Now comes China, which produced its best performance of the tournament against Italy behind Han Xu, Zhang Ziyu and a defense that made the floor feel increasingly crowded.

Puerto Rico’s problem is clear because so much of its offense has come from attacking inside. Against China, it may need to create more before the defense is fully established, using early attacks and movement to avoid letting possessions become static.

At the other end, China has to take care of the ball. Puerto Rico ranks fourth in the competition in steals and has repeatedly used defensive pressure to create easier offense. If China becomes loose with its entries or initiation, Puerto Rico has the tools to turn those mistakes into exactly the kind of game it wants.

That is where this one could swing. If China protects the ball, Han and Zhang should become increasingly difficult to handle. If Puerto Rico can disrupt the guards and create transition chances, another surprise is very much in play.