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

BERLIN (AP) — Young Spanish star Iyana Martín led her national team to a bronze medal in the women’s FIBA World Cup on Sunday, defeating host Germany 81-58. Martín poured in 22 points to give Spain its third third-place finish in the tournament, following victories in 2010 and 2018. The Spanish squad demonstrated greater speed and fewer mistakes than in previous matches, as Germany struggled with 18 turnovers in the contest, compared to six turnovers early on.

Germany had been seeking its maiden medal in the tournament, making its second appearance as a unified nation following reunification in 1990. The East German squad claimed the fourth place at the 1967 edition. Spain secured its second win over Germany, having previously beaten the host nation by 30 points in their opening game.

Following the defeat, Germany rebounded by outperforming Japan, Mali, South Korea, and European champions Belgium consecutively. Germany managed to keep France's score under 90 points in their semifinal contest, defeating the French team 86-64. Meanwhile, Spain started its World Cup campaign on a low note, suffering a surprising loss to Mali in their second game before topping Japan to top its group.

They then defeated Australia in the quarterfinals, only to fall short against the United States in the semifinals. The U.S. team, aiming for its fifth consecutive championship title, faced France in the final match on the same day.