Mali shock Spain to claim second-ever women’s basketball World Cup win

Mali beat Spain 82-73 in their Group A match at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin on Saturday to claim only their second win in the history of the competition.

Mali made a fast start, taking a 19-17 lead in the first quarter before Spain fought back to lead 34-32 at halftime.

The Malians returned from the break with a stronger attack, outscoring Spain 31-19 in the third quarter to move 10 points clear at 63-53.

They stayed in control in the final quarter despite Spain winning it 20-19 to seal the 82-73 victory. Sika Kone played a key role in Mali’s response, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

“With her 19 points and 10 rebounds against Spain today, Mali’s Sika Kone became the first player on Opta record (since 1994) to tally five consecutive double-doubles at the Women’s World Cup. Dominant,” basketball statistics account OptaJerry said on X.

The victory was a big turnaround for Mali, who had opened their campaign with a 102-97 loss to Japan on Friday. Spain, on the other hand, had beaten hosts Germany 83-53 in their first match.

The two sides now have one win and one loss in Group A, leaving Monday’s final group games important for their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.

For Mali, the result was also their first World Cup win against a European team. They had gone winless at the 2022 tournament in Sydney and came into Saturday’s game with only one previous victory in the competition, a 2010 win over Senegal.

The win leaves Mali with a chance to progress from the 16-team tournament being played in Berlin from September 4 to 13. The teams are divided into four groups of four, with each side playing three matches in the group stage.

The group winners will advance directly to the quarter-finals, while teams finishing second and third will play for the other four places in the last eight. The quarter-finals are set for September 10, followed by the semi-finals on September 12 and the final on September 13.

Mali will face Germany in their final Group A match on Monday, while Spain will take on Japan. Both games will help determine which teams move on to the next stage.