Trinity San Antonio finished with 24 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists on 8-of-14 shooting, but it was not enough to keep Puerto Rico Women NT alive in World Cup qualification. They fell 75–72 at home to People's Republic of China Women NT, a three-point defeat that ended their campaign in the qualification stage. San Antonio's shooting was efficient across the board — she made 2 of 3 three-pointers and 6 of 7 free throws, and added 5 steals in 32 minutes. Her 7 assists meant she was threading play as well as scoring, a near-complete performance. The margin, though, was unforgiving: one possession decided it, and San Antonio's individual brilliance could not bridge the gap. For Puerto Rico, qualification to the quarter-finals is now complete, their run in this competition over. San Antonio's night was a highlight amid the exit, a reminder of the level she can reach — but one game in this format, no matter the personal stat line, is not enough to overturn a final score.
Trinity SAN ANTONIO carried Puerto Rico Women NT in a 75–72 loss to China, finishing with 24 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists while shooting 8 of 14 from the field. Her five steals underscored a defensive presence that could not quite bend the final margin in her team's favour. The three-point loss ended Puerto Rico's campaign in World Cup qualification. SAN ANTONIO's 57-percent shooting and composed playmaking — she turned the ball over just three times across 32 minutes — laid the groundwork for a competitive finish, but China's execution down the stretch proved decisive. At 6 of 7 from the free-throw line, she had done everything within her capacity to keep Puerto Rico in reach. In a knockout round that offered no second chances, SAN ANTONIO's individual performance underscored both her value to the team and the thin margins that separate advancement from elimination at this level.
Xu HAN steadied China Women when the margin narrowed to nothing. Entering the final five minutes ahead by two, China needed composure; Han delivered 5 points on 2-of-3 shooting, including 1-of-2 from three, plus 2 rebounds in that window. One turnover was the only blemish. The numbers from those last five minutes carried weight — Puerto Rico closed within a possession multiple times, but Han's shot-making held. China won 75–72. The result sends China through to the quarter-finals, their narrow victory over Puerto Rico proving decisive in a qualification group where every possession mattered. Han's calm finishing when the game tightened is what separated the two teams down the stretch.
China held off a Puerto Rico rally in a three-point World Cup qualifier that turned on execution down the stretch. Twenty-two lead changes and ten ties kept the outcome uncertain until the final possessions, but China's poise in the fourth quarter proved decisive. Puerto Rico led at halftime 40–41 before taking control early in the second half. By the end of three quarters, they'd pushed ahead 53–52. But China outscored them 23–19 in the fourth, sealing a 75–72 win with the game still within one possession inside the final two minutes. Xu Han anchored China's effort with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Shuyu Yang orchestrated the offense with 15 points and 11 assists. Ziyu Zhang added efficient scoring off the bench: 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Trinity San Antonio led Puerto Rico's response with 24 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists on strong two-point shooting (8/14), but her team couldn't find enough separation when it mattered most. Imani McGee-Stafford added 16 points and 9 boards; Arella Guirantes chipped in 14, though she struggled with her shot (6/18). China's qualification secured; Puerto Rico's campaign ends here.
Xu Han has been the engine driving China's attack, posting 17.3 points and 2.7 assists per game in recent form while sitting at a 59.3 TIB Efficiency rating. Trinity San Antonio has anchored Puerto Rico's offensive rhythm with 12.7 points and 4 assists over the same stretch, carrying a 54.7 rating of her own. The difference between their scoring loads reflects how each team has chosen to build around them. Han's volume and efficiency suggest China is running through her consistently; San Antonio's playmaking edge—four dimes per game—hints at a Puerto Rico side that spreads offensive responsibility more evenly. That distributional gap could matter if either team needs to weather foul trouble or defensive intensity. Both players have the floor in a few hours. Puerto Rico Women NT and People's Republic of China Women NT tip off now.
Trinity SAN ANTONIO finished 18 points on 9-of-13 shooting to lead Puerto Rico Women NT past Türkiye Women NT 75–71, a four-point result that capped Group C play on home court. The 32-minute performance also included 3 assists, 3 steals and a block, with the efficiency built on clinical accuracy in the paint and from mid-range rather than three-point volume—she attempted just one from distance and missed it. The margin was thin enough that every possession mattered. SAN ANTONIO's field-goal percentage, paired with her ball security (just 1 turnover) and defensive pressure (3 steals), gave Puerto Rico the control it needed down the stretch. A four-foul afternoon kept her available for the full half, a luxury in a game decided by single digits. For Puerto Rico Women NT, the victory completed their Group C campaign. SAN ANTONIO's steady hand and volume scoring provided the foundation that held up under Türkiye's late push.
🥶 Clutch player: Arella GUIRANTES — 6 PTS, 2 AST in the last 5 minutes. Puerto Rico Women NT up 1 with the game on the line; Puerto Rico Women NT took it, 75–71.
Puerto Rico edged Türkiye 75–71 in a four-point finish that stayed a one-possession game deep into the final two minutes. Ten lead changes and six ties kept the game in flux, but the difference came late: Puerto Rico outscored Türkiye 24–13 in the fourth quarter, including an 8–0 run mid-frame that swung a five-point deficit into a one-point lead at 59–58. Türkiye had controlled the third quarter, building an eight-point lead (51–43 with 5:50 left in that period), but Puerto Rico's offense found its rhythm when it mattered. Puerto Rico led by as many as seven with 3:28 remaining, then held off a Türkiye rally to secure the win. Arella Guirantes drove the Puerto Rico attack with 21 points on 8/16 shooting, adding 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Trinity San Antonio was efficient off the bench—18 points on 9/13 from the field—while Imani McGee-Stafford posted a double-double of 16 points and 14 rebounds. For Türkiye, Sevgi Uzun led with 18 points and 8 assists despite 6/19 shooting, and Elif Bayram added a double-double of 13 points and 12 boards. The margin reflected Türkiye's fourth-quarter drought: they managed just 13 points in the frame. Both teams' Group C campaigns end here.
Sevgi Uzun enters this matchup running at an entirely different tempo. The Türkiye guard is averaging 17.5 points and 8.5 assists in recent play, posting an 81.3 TIB Efficiency rating that sits well clear of the field. Trinity San Antonio has been the engine for Puerto Rico's offense—10 points, 4.5 assists per game at 47.3 efficiency—but she is defending against a player whose workload and impact have climbed sharply. The real story is whether San Antonio's playmaking can keep Puerto Rico competitive in transition. Uzun thrives in space and off quick ball movement; San Antonio's ability to manage tempo and force deliberate possessions will define how open the floor becomes. Türkiye's spacing and ball movement have been precise. Puerto Rico will need exact execution. Tip-off is in three hours. Watch how the first quarter shapes up defensively—early foul trouble on either side could shift everything.
Maxuella Lisowa Mbaka was unstoppable in 19 minutes off the bench: 16 points on a near-perfect 5/7 from the field, including both her three-point attempts, and a clean 4/4 from the line. Zero turnovers, zero fouls beyond the ones called. That kind of efficiency—especially in limited time—was exactly what our Cats needed to pull away. Belgium Women NT beat Puerto Rico Women NT 76–64 in Group C play, a 12-point victory that rewarded a composed second half and sharp ball movement down the stretch. Mbaka's scoring punch gave the team breathing room when the margin tightened, and her shooting touch from deep added spacing the offense had lacked earlier in the competition. Next up: a Group C clash with higher stakes waiting.
Belgium's Cats held Puerto Rico at arm's length from start to finish, building a 12-point lead midway through the fourth quarter to secure a 76–64 win in Group C play. The pattern was set early: a 20–13 margin after one quarter gave our side the initiative, and they never surrendered it. A nine-point run in the second quarter — from 25–27 to 25–36 — stretched the cushion, and Belgium took the 40–32 lead into the half. Puerto Rico kept fighting through the third, closing to 50–58, but couldn't manufacture a rally when it mattered. Late in the fourth, Belgium's advantage peaked at 14 points with 4:49 remaining, and though Puerto Rico scraped out 14 points in the final frame, the Cats' steady hand held firm. Maxuella Lisowa Mbaka led the attack with 16 points and 4 rebounds, while Julie Vanloo orchestrated the flow with 15 points, 6 boards and 5 assists. Kyara LINSKENS added 12 points and 6 rebounds on a night when Belgium's balance proved decisive. Imani McGee-Stafford carried Puerto Rico with a double-double of 25 points and 13 rebounds, but her efforts weren't enough. Australia awaits on Monday — another stern test in Group play.
Emma Meesseman is running a 27-point, 5-assist masterclass in recent form, and Puerto Rico's Tayra Melendez will walk straight into that on the biggest stage. The gap in the efficiency numbers — 94.5 to 49.5 — tells you everything about how lopsided this matchup looks on paper. Our Cats have the firepower to dominate this one if Meesseman's rhythm holds and our supporting cast stays disciplined on both ends. Puerto Rico will lean on Melendez to generate what they can, but the arithmetic is stark: a 6-point per-game scorer against a player in the form of her life, at a World Cup, is asking for trouble. Watch from tip-off. This is what separation looks like at this level.
Steph Talbot sealed it with flawless shooting in the final stretch. Australia Women NT entered the last five minutes already ahead by nine, and Talbot added 7 points on a perfect 2-for-2 from three-point range to put the result beyond doubt. She also grabbed 2 rebounds and converted 1 of 2 free throws in that window. No turnovers, no fouls. Australia Women NT's 70–54 victory over Puerto Rico Women NT was decided well before the final buzzer, but Talbot's accuracy when the game was still live basketball — even with the lead secure — underlined the control the home side maintained throughout Group C play.
Steph Talbot carried Australia Women NT through Group C play with 19 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists in 33 minutes, shooting 7 of 9 from the field and 4 of 6 from three. The home side dominated Puerto Rico Women NT 70–54, a 16-point margin built on the kind of efficient perimeter work that Talbot epitomised: she missed just two shots from the floor and turned the ball over only three times despite the volume. Talbot's night was about precision more than noise. Her 78% accuracy from the field and 67% from distance — on a night when Australia's shooting was the difference — meant every possession mattered. She added two steals and the kind of off-ball movement that keeps a half-court defence honest, the work that doesn't always show in the line but shapes how a team operates. The margin was never close after early stages. Australia Women NT's depth and spacing overwhelmed a Puerto Rico side that couldn't match their range or their execution. Talbot was simply the most reliable outlet, the one you'd trust with the game on clean possession.
Australia Women NT never trailed once against Puerto Rico Women NT, establishing control from the opening tip and sustaining it through to a 70–54 win. The Australians broke away early, leading 19–11 after one quarter. Puerto Rico trimmed the deficit slightly in the second, outscoring Australia 13–12 in that frame, but Australia still held a 31–24 advantage at half-time. The decisive damage came in the third: an 11-0 run midway through the quarter shifted the game from 40–38 to 51–38, putting Puerto Rico into a hole they could not dig out of. A fourth-quarter hold—Australia outscored Puerto Rico 19–16—sealed the outcome. Steph Talbot led the charge with 19 points on efficient shooting (7/9 from the field, 4/6 from three), adding 8 rebounds and 2 steals. Ezi Magbegor contributed 11 points and 9 rebounds, while Jade Melbourne finished with 10 points and 2 steals on a perfect 3/3 from the free-throw line. For Puerto Rico, Arella Guirantes notched a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds despite a difficult 5/18 shooting night. Imani McGee-Stafford added 11 points and 12 rebounds; Trinity San Antonio scored 11 with a game-high 7 steals, but neither could generate the offensive rhythm needed to mount a comeback. Australia Women NT visit Türkiye Women NT on Sunday 6 Sept.
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