MEXICO CITY (Mexico) – Korea saved their best for last, and Czechia maintained their dominant demeanor as both countries qualified to the Semi-Finals of the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 Pre-Qualying Tournament in Mexico. Montenegro also won to remain undefeated and finish atop Group B, while New Zealand beat Mozambique to avoid going home empty handed. This is how it all unfolded:
Korea’s first win sends them through to the next round
Korea (1-2) recovered from a pair of losses and defeated Mali (1-2), 87-63, Thursday afternoon. After being tied or trading leads throughout most of the first half, the Asians took a 40-35 lead into halftime before pulling away by double digits in the third quarter. Overall, they put on a well-rounded performance, shooting 48.4 from the field and going 13-for-35 from beyond the arc while holding Mali to just under 30 percent. They also had a massive 33-15 edge in transition points.
Leeseul Kang led the way with 26 points (6-for-15 from long distance), while Jisu Park added a 19-point, 12-rebound double-double with 5 blocks. Jihyun Park (15 points, 7 boards and 5 dimes) and Sohee Lee (10 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists) also had excellent showings. Mali fell apart in the second half and only scored 28 points after intermission. Djeneba N’Diaye (18 points) and Mama Cisse (10 points and 6 rebounds) were their only players in double digits.
Czechia remains unstoppable in blowout win over Venezuela
Czechia (3-0) won for the third consecutive time in the tournament, this time an 86-49 blowout victory over Venezuela (1-2) to win Group A. All 12 of their players scored points and none of them played more than 19 minutes on a game where they shot 49.2 percent from the field and went 14-of-32 from long distance. Gabriela Andelova, Katerina Zeithammerova, Tereza Vyoralova (12 points) and Julia Reisingerova (11) scored in double digits as head coach Romana Ptackova emptied the bench early in the second half.
Venezuela had an off shooting night (4-for-25 from beyond the arc) and only Aguehil Fajardo (13 points) and Guadalupe Diaz (10) scored in double digits. Leading scorer Daniela Wallen was held scoreless, while Waleska Pérez only managed 2 points. The loss eliminated the South Americans, who couldn’t maintain the level they showed against Korea on Monday.
New Zealand beats Mozambique for first win
In a duel between teams that had already been eliminated, New Zealand got past Mozambique, 79-63, to earn their first win. Lauren Whittaker exploded for 27 points on 9-for-13 from the field, including 2-for-2 from long distance. The power forward added 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals for a 30 efficiency rating.
Esra McGoldrick (15 points and 18 rebounds) and McKenna Dale (12 points, 7 boards and 4 dimes) also had great performances for the kiwis, who got 23 points off second chances after grabbing twice as many rebounds (65 vs. 32) as their opponents. Mozambique, who wrapped their run in the event without wins, got solid individual performances from Ingvild Mucauro (14 points and 5 steals), Chayana Pinto (13 points) and Carla Covane (12 points on 5-for-6 from the field), but were held to just 31 percent as a team.
Montenegro prevails over Mexico to win Group B
Montenegro went on a 7-0 run in the final 67 seconds of overtime to defeat Mexico, 74-71, and finish atop Group B. In a battle between undefeated squads, the Europeans looked to be in trouble when the local team went up 71-67 on a three-pointer from Maya Gil. However, Milica Jovanovic hit a turnaround jumper, Anastasija Drobnjak drained a huge corner 3 and then Jovanovic made a pair at the line to seal the deal. Jovanovic was stellar, finishing with 29 points (10-for-16 from the field), 9 rebounds, 5 assists, a steal and a block for a game-high 36 efficiency. Dragana Zivkovic (13 points and 10 boards) and Drobnjak (12 points on 4-for-9 from downtown) also scored in double figures.
Mexico was down but within striking distance throughout the whole night, but a 10-1 run put them up 58-53 early in the fourth. Later, down the stretch in the fourth, a pair of free throws from Gabriel Jaquez put them up 62-60 with 37 to go, but Jovanovic once again came through and sent the game to overtime. Jaquez led Mexico with 26 points and 8 rebounds, while Gil added 14 on 3-for-7 from beyond the arc. In the end, Montenegro was slightly better across the board and came away with the victory.
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Semi-Finals pairing
The pairings for the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Mexico are now confirmed:
AUGUST 24
FIBA