Mali pulled off one of the biggest upsets in FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup history in Berlin, defeating Spain 82-73. It was only their second win in the tournament, after beating fellow African side Senegal in 2010, and their first-ever success against European opposition.
The result carried extra weight for a side ranked 18th in the FIBA World Ranking Presented by Nike, with Spain sitting 12 places higher. Spain had opened the tournament with a 30-point win over host nation Germany and were runners-up at last year's FIBA Women's EuroBasket.
Mali recovered quickly from a narrow 102-97 loss to Japan in their opener to dictate the tempo against the Spaniards. Their aggressive approach, built on pushing the ball in transition and punishing turnovers, opened up a decisive third quarter. After going 1 of 9 from three-point range earlier, Mali connected on 6 of 7 from long range in the period to break the game open.
Sika Kone led the way again for Mali and was named TCL Player of the Game after posting 19 points and 10 rebounds. Her double-double was her fifth consecutive at a Women's World Cup, a first in tournament history, and her sixth overall, moving her into the all-time top 10.
