Australia beats Turkey for 2nd win at Women’s Basketball World Cup, US plays Italy later

Australia secured a crucial 87-71 victory over Turkey in the Women’s Basketball World Cup, advancing to the final stage. Ezi Magbegor led the way with 21 points for the Australian team, known as the Opals. Turkey, anchored by Sevgi Uzun’s 24 points, bounced back from an early 8-0 deficit to take a 15-14 lead early in the first quarter.

However, Australia rebounded to build a 21-15 halftime lead, holding onto it for the remainder of the match. Turkey’s Goksen Fitik left the game with an apparent ankle injury in the third quarter but returned in the fourth. Seven players on Australia’s roster made their debuts at the World Cup. Team captain Sami Whitcomb, who plays for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, had to withdraw due to a lingering knee injury.

Australia now faces Belgium in a pivotal matchup on Monday that could determine who moves directly to the quarterfinals as the competition’s group winner. Belgium had already triumphed over Puerto Rico in their previous group game. Meanwhile, the United States took on Italy, with stars Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers looking to extend the Americans’ 32-game winning streak.

The U.S. had not lost a match at the World Cup since the 2006 semifinals. Lastly, China’s 7-foot-3 Zhang Ziyu was set to take on the Czech Republic, both teams vying for their first victory at the World Cup.