MEXICO CITY (Mexico) – Czechia got the best of Korea down the stretch, winning 73-67 Sunday night at Gimnasio Juan de la Barrera to earn a spot in one the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournaments taking place in March 2026. The Europeans’ superior depth was key in withstanding a big run from the Asians’ in the second half and executing more efficiently in the final moments of the game.
Turning Point
After leading by 5 points at halftime, Czechia found themselves down when Korea opened the third quarter on a 14-2 run. But a moment that could’ve led to disarray and desperation was met with poise and even-handedness, and by the middle of the final stanza, things were even as the game headed to the clutch. There, Gabriela Andelova and Natalie Stoupalova were nails, draining big shot after big shot to lead their country to the title. Eliska Hamzova put the finishing touches on the 11-2 run that sealed the deal.
Player of the Game
Stoupalova saved her best showing of the week for the biggest of stages. She finished with 15 points (her first double-digit outing of the tournament) after shooting 5-for-9 from the field, including a torrid 3-for-4 from beyond the arc.
The 26-year-old center added 7 rebounds and a steal for a team-high 18 efficiency rating. Andelova was similarly brilliant off the bench. Her 15 points were also her high watermark for the event. She shot 3-for-6 from long distance and had ice in her veins in the clutch. Overall, Czechia had 9 different players providing scoring, with Julia Reisingerova (named the tournament’s MVP) finishing with 9 points and 6 assists. Korea got another great game from center Jisu Park, who was named to the event’s All Star 5. The center finished with 20 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and a pair of blocks. Jihyun Park added 14 points, 6 boards and 7 dimes.
Stats Don’t Lie
A game that had 9 lead changes was naturally close throughout the night, but Czechia’s depth ended up tipping the scales. Their reserves had a 43-9 edge over Korea’s. Overall, the Europeans made the most of their size advantage in the frontcourt. They doubled Korea in points in the paint (34-16) and had a 19-8 edge in second-chance points. Czechia also did a better job taking care of the ball, with just 12 turnovers against Korea’s 19. They turned those miscues into 24 points, which helped counterbalance their opponents’ hot shooting from long distance.
Bottom Line
This week’s performance represents a massive step for Czechia toward returning to the world stage. They haven’t qualified to a FIBA Women’s World Cup since 2014, and this gives them yet another avenue toward achieving that goal. The title is also a massive morale boost heading into the 2025 FIBA Women’s EuroBasket, where they will be one of the 4 host nations.
They Said
“I wanted our players to rebound more and in the statistics, (Czechia) only had one more rebound so I thought we executed well. But we had turnovers in important moments, so if we didn’t have that many, we would’ve had a good game today.” – Korea head coach Soo Ho Park “In the first half of the fourth quarter we played great, so it’s a little bit depressing to lose the game. All of our players, including the coaches, did our best and next time we play against them, I really want to win.” – Korea center Jisu Park “I want to give high praise to my players who never stopped fighting even when the game tonight wasn’t going really well. We fought really hard, battled and we came out victorious. It’s a great feeling for us.” – Czechia head coach Romana Ptackova “I’m really proud of our team because we understand we were struggling a lot. Then we got our tempo and played the way we wanted. I think we (played) a really good game.” – Czechia center Natalie Stoupalova
FIBA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL WORLD CUP 2026 PRE-QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT MEXICO STANDINGS
1. Czechia 2. Korea 3. Montenegro 4. Mexico 5. New Zealand 6. Mali 7. Venezuela 8. Mozambique
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