Mali defeats Spain 82-73 to deliver the first major upset of the Women’s Basketball World Cup. The match is decided after Mali turns the game around in the third quarter, outscoring Spain 31-19 to seize the lead en route to a historic win.
Reports note this is only Mali’s second World Cup victory since the tournament’s inception. Mali enters with a long record of limited success, and the previous win dates to 2010, when it beat Senegal in overtime. Yahoo Sports and the Guardian Sport both describe Mali as trailing by two points at halftime before the momentum shift in the third quarter.
The Guardian Sport adds further detail on individual performance, citing Kone’s 19 points and 10 rebounds, and also references other games from the same event, including Hungary defeating Nigeria. Across outlets, the shared emphasis remains on Mali’s scoreline, the late-game turnaround after halftime, and the significance of the result for Mali’s overall World Cup history.
