Australia Women NT · 31 min★★★★★
30 pts4 reb5 ast97.5 TIB EFF
Isobel Borlase finished with 30 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds in 31 minutes as Australia Women NT escaped a two-point road victory against Italy Women NT, 82–80, in World Cup qualification.
Borlase shot 7-of-13 from the field and a near-perfect 14-of-16 from the free-throw line, including 2-of-3 from three. Her ball distribution — five assists against five turnovers — kept the offence moving in a contest that never allowed either team separation. Italy pressed late but could not close the final gap.
The performance anchored Australia's advance toward the quarter-finals in a qualifying round that left no room for error.
Australia Women NT · 31 min★★★★★
30 pts4 reb5 ast97.5 TIB EFF
Lorela Cubaj kept Italy level in the final minutes, but two points were not enough.
Down 10 entering the last five minutes, Italy Women NT clawed closer without quite getting over the line. Cubaj finished that closing window with 2 points on a perfect 1-for-1 from the floor, to go with 2 rebounds and 2 assists, zero turnovers. When the final buzzer sounded, Australia Women NT had escaped with an 82–80 victory.
The two-point loss ended Italy's campaign at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Qualification round. Cubaj's late efficiency mattered; it was not enough to overturn a ten-point hole.
1
2
3
4
ITA
13
20
16
31
AUS
26
22
21
13
Australia Women NT survived a furious Italy Women NT rally to advance to the quarter-finals by two points, 82–80. The margin was closer than the first half suggested: Australia led 48–33 at the break after a searing opening quarter, built that advantage to 26 points at 64–38 midway through the third, then watched it dissolve entirely in the fourth.
Italy Women NT outscored Australia 31–13 in that final quarter—a 12-point swing that kept the result in doubt until the final possessions. Two lead changes and two ties punctuated the back-and-forth, but Australia held firm when it mattered.
Isobel Borlase carried Australia on 30 points (7/13 FG, 2/3 three, 14/16 FT), five assists and four rebounds. Zitina Aokuso was flawless from the field—6/6—adding 15 points and six boards. Steph Talbot anchored the defense with nine rebounds to go with 14 points.
For Italy Women NT, Costanza Verona led with 23 points on 8/17 shooting, and Vittoria Blasigh was efficient off the bench with 13 on a perfect 5/6 from two and 3/3 from three. Olbis Andre contributed 11 points and four rebounds. It was not enough.
1
2
3
4
ITA
13
20
16
31
AUS
26
22
21
13
Steph Talbot has been the engine of Australia's run through this tournament—55.7 TIB efficiency, 14.7 points and 3.3 assists per game in recent weeks. Italy will need Cecilia Zandalasini operating at her sharpest to keep pace; the forward is running 29.5 efficiency with 15 points and 2.3 assists.
That disparity in efficiency tells the story heading in. Talbot's decision-making and floor management have been a level above; Zandalasini's scoring touch remains reliable, but Australia's guard is doing more with each possession. The question isn't whether Italy can score—it's whether they can match the tempo and flow Talbot orchestrates.
Italy and Australia tip off in three hours at the FIBA Women's World Cup. Tune in to see if Zandalasini can tighten that gap.
People 's Republic of China Women NT · 30 min★★★★★
19 pts10 reb1 ast70.5 TIB EFF
Xu Han finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 1 assist in 30 minutes as China beat Italy 71–51 in Group D play.
The forward's efficiency was the decisive edge: 8-of-11 shooting from the field, including 2-of-2 from three, with just two turnovers across half the game. That clinical accuracy on limited volume set the tone for a dominant performance that saw China control the boards and build separation early.
Italy offered little resistance, and by the end China's 20-point margin reflected the gap in execution. For Xu Han, a 19-point outing on that shooting split — anchored by her work in the paint — was enough to steer clear in an uneven contest.
With Group D complete, China's World Cup campaign closes here.
Italy's World Cup campaign ended in one-sided fashion on Wednesday, unable to keep pace with a People's Republic of China side that led throughout and built a commanding 25-point lead early in the third quarter.
The gulf opened quickly. China raced to 23 points by the end of the first quarter while Italy managed just 7, then accelerated further with an 11-0 run midway through the second to stretch the advantage to 14 by half-time (21–40). Italy clawed back slightly in the third quarter, outscoring China 21–15 to trim the deficit to 13 heading into the fourth, but China's lead had simply grown too large. A 16–9 China quarter sealed the 71–51 margin.
Xu Han anchored China's dominance with a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds on clinical 8-of-11 shooting, including 2-of-2 from three. Shuyu Yang added 15 points and 4 assists. For Italy, Matilde Villa led with 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting, and Cecilia Zandalasini contributed 12 points and 4 assists, but neither could generate enough offensive rhythm to mount a credible threat.
Italy's Group D slate concluded with this defeat. China's control from the opening minutes reflected the gap in execution on the night—a decisive result that underlined the hosts' poise in a tournament that has now run its course for both teams.
Xu Han's numbers this tournament tell the story: 16.5 points and 3.5 assists per game, a 56.3 TIB Efficiency that sits well clear of the field. Italy will need to find a way to disrupt her rhythm early, because Matilde Villa — averaging 24.3 efficiency with 10 points and 1.5 assists in recent play — operates best when she can dictate tempo and find cutters. Villa's skill in orchestration is genuine, but the defensive assignment on Han will determine whether Italy can stay close.
This is less a meeting of equals and more a test of whether a secondary star can neutralize an alpha scorer. Han's consistency on both ends has been the engine of China's World Cup run. Villa's versatility gives Italy a chance to steal possessions and run, but only if she limits turnovers and forces Han into difficult looks.
Tipoff in three hours. Italy vs. People's Republic of China — a matchup where one player's efficiency advantage could settle it early.
USA Women NT · 19 min★★★★
7 pts5 reb2 ast52.0 TIB EFF
Paige Bueckers finished with 7 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks across 19 minutes as the USA Women NT edged Italy Women NT 55–52 in Group D play. The margin was narrow — Italy stayed within striking distance throughout — but BUECKERS two-way work in limited time proved decisive. She shot 2 of 5 from the field and made her only three-point attempt, also converting both free throws.
In a game where possessions mattered and neither side pulled clear, BUECKERS defensive pressure (2 steals, 2 blocks) and activity on the glass kept the USA anchored when Italy pressed. On a night when shot-making was contested across the board, her efficiency and length in the paint made the difference in a three-point road win.
USA Women NT · 19 min★★★★
7 pts5 reb2 ast52.0 TIB EFF
With the score level entering the final five minutes, Jackie Young controlled the closing stretch for USA Women NT. In that window alone, she made her only field-goal attempt and distributed two assists while pulling down two rebounds, moving without a turnover or foul.
The margin was thin. Italy Women NT pushed hard, but USA Women NT's 55–52 victory — secured on the road in Group D — turned on clean execution when it mattered. Young's efficiency in those last moments, hitting what she attempted and keeping the ball live, was the thread that held it together.
1
2
3
4
ITA
8
16
15
13
USA
19
11
12
13
USA Women NT edged Italy Women NT 55–52 in a Group D thriller that swung back and forth until the final possessions. Eight lead changes and seven ties kept the outcome uncertain throughout, but the decisive margin came down to the closing minutes.
The Americans built their biggest cushion early in the second quarter, stretching to 23–8 with 8:39 remaining in the period. A 12-0 run had pushed them clear mid-quarter, but Italy clawed back. By half-time, the lead had shrunk to just six points at 30–24. The third quarter remained tight—Italy outscored USA 15–12—leaving the game at 42–39 heading into the fourth. A deadlocked final ten minutes saw neither team pull away, and when the buzzer sounded, USA had stolen a one-possession win.
Cecilia Zandalasini led Italy with 14 points on 5 of 14 shooting, adding seven rebounds, while Mariella Santucci contributed nine points on clean 4-for-4 free-throw shooting. For USA, Jackie Young distributed the offense efficiently with 10 points, four rebounds and three assists on 4-for-6 shooting. Paige Bueckers chipped in seven points and five boards.
Italy host People's Republic of China Women NT on Monday, 7 September. USA face Czechia Women NT the same day.
1
2
3
4
ITA
8
16
15
13
USA
19
11
12
13
Cecilia Zandalasini has been Italy's engine in recent weeks — 19 points and 3 assists per game on the strength of her shooting — but she walks into a different weight class in Caitlin Clark. The USA guard's 72.5 TIB Efficiency rating sits well clear of the field here, built on 14 points and 11 assists per game; she dictates tempo, reads floor geometry three passes ahead, and her range keeps defenses honest at 35 feet.
Italy will need Zandalasini to stay aggressive. She's proven she can score in bunches, and the USA's perimeter defense can be susceptible to sustained ball movement — but Clark's assist numbers suggest she'll have teammates ready on the catch. This is less a duel and more a study in how Italy manages an asymmetric skill gap.
Tip-off is in about three hours.
1
2
3
4
CZE
17
15
13
9
ITA
14
17
19
13
Lorela Cubaj enters this World Cup matchup as the efficiency outlier. At Women's EuroBasket 2025, the Italian averaged 11.5 points and 2.7 assists with a 48.1 TIB rating — numbers that put her in rare air for a guard operating in that tournament field. Emma Cechova will shoulder the offensive load for Czechia, posting 9.7 points and 1.3 assists on a 33.5 rating in that same window, a gap that hints at the creative and scoring advantage Italy can lean on.
The question isn't whether Cubaj can impact the game — her assist-to-volume ratio and efficiency suggest she will — but whether Cechova can generate enough scoring punch and cut into Italy's spacing advantage. Czechia's success often runs through her, and Cechova will need to be decisive in pick-and-roll situations and reliable from three.
Italy's halfcourt offense should benefit from Cubaj's playmaking, but Czechia won't lack fight. Both sides came through qualifying; this is where it counts.
Tipoff in three hours. Watch it live.
You have reached the end.
