US women in familiar place reaching semifinals of World Cup, joined by Germany, France and Spain

The final four teams in the women's basketball FIBA World Cup have been determined, with three high-profile semi-final matchups set to take place on Saturday. France will take on Germany at 10:30 am, followed by the United States facing Spain.

Germany's path to the semi-finals was marked by an unexpected victory over Belgium in the quarter-finals, spearheaded by Leonie Fiebich, Nyara Sabally, Frieda Buhner, and Alexis Peterson. Prior to that, they had faced a loss to Spain in Group Play but bounced back with wins against Japan, Mali, and Korea. Key contributors for Germany include Buhner, Sabally, Guelich, and Fiebich.

France, on the other hand, has eliminated every opponent they've encountered, including Hungary, Korea, Nigeria, and China. The team's standout players are Gabby Williams, Marine Johannes, Janelle Salaun, Dominique Malonga, and Leila Lacan. France's strong defense and three-point shooting have been instrumental, with a 45.3% accuracy on their 34.5 attempts per game, on average.

In the other semi-final, the United States will go up against Spain. Team USA has dominated the tournament so far, defeating China, Czechia, and Hungary, with only a narrow 3-point loss to Italy in Group Play. USA boasts a deep roster with nine players averaging at least six points per game. Jackie Young, Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart, Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, and Rhyne Howard have been the team's top performers.

Spain, meanwhile, has been the tournament's dominant force, aside from a surprising loss to Mali in the Group Stage. The team was victorious over Germany and Japan in Group Play and Australia in the quarter-finals. Iyana Martin, a 21-year-old rookie, has been the standout player for Spain, averaging 16.5 points, 3.3 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 43.5% from three-point range.

The winners of both semi-finals will clash in the gold medal game on Sunday, while the losers will compete for the bronze medal in a separate match.