Fire alarm forces 2 a.m. evacuation at Women’s Basketball World Cup teams’ hotel

A fire alarm unexpectedly sounded at the hotel where the majority of Women's Basketball World Cup teams resided early Sunday morning, prompting an early 2 a.m. evacuation. All players and coaches were forced to leave the hotel, only to return about an hour later. The American team, staying at a separate location, was not impacted by the early morning disturbance.

According to Australia coach Sandy Brondello, the incident was an unexpected situation, but one that her team would now have in their "toolbox." The game, which started at 11:30 a.m. local time, proceeded as scheduled, with Australia ultimately defeating Turkey 87-71. Australia forward Ezi Magbegor described the event as "crazy," emphasizing the uncontrollable nature of the incident.

Turkish coach Andrea Masson revealed that his team had only about three hours of sleep due to the alarm, acknowledging it as a "really bad night" for them. While this was not an excuse, Masson acknowledged it as the "reality."