Spain defeats host Germany again to win bronze at women's FIBA World Cup

BERLIN (AP) — In a thrilling women's FIBA World Cup, Spain claimed the bronze medal on Sunday after defeating host Germany with a score of 81-58. Iyana Martín, a 20-year-old Spanish player, played a pivotal role in the victory by scoring 22 points for her team. This marked Spain's third third-place finish in the tournament, following their performances in 2010 and 2018.

While the Spanish team appeared sharper and faster throughout the match, Germany struggled with turnovers, particularly after their semifinal loss to France. Germany had a poor first quarter, committing 25 turnovers, and finished the game with 18 turnovers. This was Germany's second appearance in the tournament as a unified country, with their only previous medal coming from the 1967 edition when East Germany finished fourth.

The Spanish team had previously defeated Germany by 30 points in their opening match. Germany managed to recover, securing impressive wins over Japan, Mali, South Korea, and European champion Belgium. Germany also became the first team to keep France below 90 points, with a 86-64 loss in their semifinal. Spain, on the other hand, suffered a surprising defeat against Mali in their second game but managed to secure top spot in the group by defeating Japan.

They then went on to beat Australia in the quarterfinals before losing to the United States, the team aiming for its fifth consecutive title, in the semifinal. The United States was set to face France in the final later Sunday.