MEXICO CITY (Mexico) – The table is set, and the winner of the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 Pre-Qualying Tournament in Mexico will come down to Sunday’s final between Korea and Czechia. Those squads got past Montenegro and Mexico, respectively, to earn the chance to win a place in the one of the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournaments.
Key Matchup
The interior matchup between Jisu Park and the Czech combination of Julia Reisingerova and Emma Cechova will not only determine who has supremacy in the paint, but also who can get the game played in their own terms.
Park is averaging 15.5 points and 7.8 rebounds, while Reisingerova (14 points and 5.8 rebounds) and Cechova (10.3 points and 5.5 boards) have also been dominant inside for Czechia.
X-Factor
Both teams have been shooting lights out from beyond the arc, so the winner might come down to who can keep making shots at a high clip. Tereza Vyoralova and Julie Popispilova shot a perfect 8-for8 from downtown on Saturday, while Sohee Lee and Leeseul Kang combined for 9-for-10 against Monenegro.
Stats Don’t Lie
While both teams have shot near identical percentages from the floor, Czechia has averaged 3 more points throughout the week (82 vs. 79) and made three-pointers at a higher clip (42.7 vs. 36.4). The Europeans also boast a big advantage on the boards, having pulled down 46.5 rebounds per game (vs. 38.8 for Korea).
Past Matchups
Czechia has won all 3 of the previous official matchups between these 2 nations. The Europeans won 96-65 at the 2010 FIBA Women’s World Cup and also prevailed 97-75 at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. They also won 76-63 earlier this week as part of Group A play.
FIBA