Iyana Martin's 22 points and 9 assists steered Spain Women NT to a 23-point victory over Germany Women NT, 81–58, in the third-place game. The guard shot 8 of 15 from the field and made all three of her free throws, threading passes and creating rhythm throughout her 31 minutes on court. Spain's depth and ball movement were the difference. Martin's accuracy from three—3 of 6—and her nine assists reflected a side that moved the ball with purpose and didn't rely on isolation. Germany never found an answer for the offensive rhythm Spain established early. The win secured third place for Spain Women NT in the World Cup. Germany finished fourth. For a Spanish side that went deep in the tournament, the result capped a campaign built on controlled play and secondary scoring—precisely the kind of floor general performance Martin delivered when it mattered most.
🏀 Final: Spain Women NT 81–58 Germany Women NT. Top: Iyana Martin 22 PTS.
Iyana Martin has been Spain's primary offensive engine through this tournament, posting 16.6 points per game on a 52.4 TIB Efficiency rating — a commanding line that reflects both volume and precision. Germany will ask Leonie Fiebich to shoulder the playmaking load; Fiebich's 3.8 assists per game lead her side, and her 49.1 rating shows she's manufacturing consistently, even as her scoring remains modest at 9.8 per game. The asymmetry matters. Martin is being asked to score; Fiebich is being asked to set others up. That split defines how each team wants to operate — Spain leaning on one dynamic shot-maker, Germany trying to diffuse the ball and spread floor pressure. Fiebich's ball movement will test whether Spain's defense can afford to load onto Martin without bleeding points on the wings. This is the duel within the duel: can Fiebich's threading keep Germany's role players in rhythm, or will Martin's scoring punch simply overwhelm the perimeter game? Tipoff in under three hours.
Breanna Stewart's 16 points, 8 of 11 from the free-throw line, carried USA Women NT past Spain Women NT 76–66 in the semi-final. Stewart shot efficiently from the field (4 of 6), moving through Spain's defense with the kind of purposeful spacing that defines her game: she did not attempt a three-pointer, instead operating in the paint and mid-range where she could impose her size and footwork. Six rebounds and a block underscored her two-way presence. The margin was ten. Spain, disciplined and compact for large stretches, could not maintain enough offensive consistency to close the gap—USA Women NT's depth and execution in the final quarter sealed the advance. This was not Stewart's loudest performance of the tournament, but it was exactly what the assignment required: efficient work, no waste, no ego. She played 29 minutes. The campaign ends here. USA Women NT has claimed another medal.
Jackie Young steadied the USA Women's attack when Spain Women mounted their final pressure in the last five minutes of the semi-final. With the American lead at eight entering that window, Young made 2 of 3 field attempts for 4 points, added a steal, and facilitated one assist to help close out a 76–66 victory. The control mattered. Spain Women were chasing momentum late, and Young's efficiency—converting two of three from the floor—helped the USA Women manage the clock and prevent any late-game panic. One turnover free in that stretch underlined the precision required when a lead, however comfortable it looked, still needed defending. The win sent the USA Women through to the final stage of the World Cup, concluding a semi-final campaign that had been built on exactly this kind of composed execution when the margin narrowed.
🏀 Final: Spain Women NT 66–76 USA Women NT. Top: Maria Conde 17 PTS.
Spain's Iyana Martin has been the tournament's most efficient scorer, averaging 16.5 points per game with a 51.9 TIB rating—the kind of inside-out threat that forces rotations and punishes hesitation. Against a USA side built on ball movement and depth, Martin's scoring gravity becomes the fulcrum. Breanna Stewart, running at 47.1 TIB efficiency with 9.8 points and 2.8 assists in recent outings, remains the counterweight—a wing who reads space and relocates with timing that frustrates pick-and-roll offenses. Stewart's work away from the ball has been as valuable as her scoring; the question for Spain's defense is whether Martin's individual offensive load leaves enough cover for Spain's perimeter. USA's roster depth means Stewart doesn't have to do it alone, but her decision-making and spacing are core to how the Americans build walls. Spain and USA tip off now.
Megan Gustafson was surgical in 16 minutes: 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, 2 rebounds, 1 steal and zero turnovers. Spain Women NT's 89–66 quarter-final win over Australia Women NT was never close after the opening stages, and Gustafson's efficiency in a shortened role underlined the gap. Playing away, Spain controlled the tempo and their spacing. Gustafson's accuracy from the floor — she didn't need a three-pointer to hurt them — kept Australia's defense honest and opened driving lanes elsewhere. A 23-point margin in a World Cup knockout game is not accidental; Spain's depth and decision-making were visible throughout. For Australia, a quarter-final exit. For Spain, a statement of intent heading toward the semi-finals.
🏀 Final: Australia Women NT 66–89 Spain Women NT. Top: Chloe BIBBY 13 PTS.
Steph Talbot has been running Australia's offence with precision: 14.5 points and 3.8 assists per game of late, a 55.9 TIB Efficiency that anchors everything the side does in transition and half-court alike. Spain will counter with Iyana Martin, whose 17.3 points and 3 assists represent a more aggressive offensive load — she sits at 53.8 TIB Efficiency, the kind of volume scorer who can dismantle defences in stretches. The tension between them is real. Talbot orchestrates; Martin attacks. One spaces the floor and moves the ball; the other hunts her own shot. When Australia presses, Spain's scoring punch through Martin tests their depth. When Spain tightens, Talbot's decision-making and floor vision become the lever to prise them open. Both players will have their hands full beyond this duel — role players, bench depth, transition speed all factor. But this is where the game tilts: the player who controls her efficiency while forcing the other into difficult shots often tips the outcome. Tip-off in three hours. Watch how they navigate each other.
Iyana Martin's 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting carried Spain Women NT to a 79–59 victory over Japan Women NT, a 20-point road win that closed out their World Cup group phase. Martin moved efficiently through 22 minutes, hitting 3 of 8 three-pointers and converting all 3 free throws. She added 4 rebounds, 2 steals and a block, though she also turned the ball over twice and fouled three times. The performance was enough to earn player-of-the-game honours by TIB's efficiency measure, marking a decisive individual contribution in a lopsided result. The margin tells the story: Japan could not match Spain's execution or depth in this matchup. With group play now complete for Spain, this win concluded their campaign on a high note—a comfortable road victory against a team that came into the tournament as a serious regional contender.
🏀 Final: Japan Women NT 59–79 Spain Women NT. Top: Kokoro TANAKA 15 PTS.
Kokoro Tanaka has been the engine of Japan's World Cup run—16.5 points and 3.5 assists per game in recent weeks, moving with precision and tempo that has kept defenses off balance. Her 58.8 TIB Efficiency rating sits well clear of her peers, a mark of both volume and reliability when it matters. Spain will counter with Iyana Martin, who carries a 49 TIB Efficiency and averages 16 points with 4 assists. Martin's playmaking edge is real; the question for Japan's defence is whether they can blunt that creative pressure while Tanaka dictates pace at the other end. This is the pairing that will shape the game. Both teams arrive hot. Both have a clear, ball-moving lead guard who can hurt you in transition or in the half-court. Whoever controls that duel—whoever forces the other into heavier touches, longer looks, or turnovers—likely dictates the tempo and the margin. Japan vs Spain tips off in three hours.
Iyana Martin carried Spain's attack in Group A, posting 20 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists across 24 minutes, but it was not enough to stop Mali's upset. Spain fell 73–82 on the road, a nine-point margin that left little room for the deficit to close in the final stretch. Martin shot 6 of 14 from the field and made all six of her free throws, though her 2-of-6 three-point line underscored the difficulty Spain faced in finding rhythm. She added 3 steals to her workload, a bright spot on a night when Mali's perimeter defence held firm. Three turnovers and two fouls kept her night from being flawless, but her efficiency rating still stood as the benchmark on a Spain side that could not generate enough scoring depth. Mali's road victory in World Cup play signals a group that is far from settled.
Mali Women NT held off Spain Women NT 82–73 in a back-and-forth Group A contest that turned decisively in the third quarter. The teams traded leads through the opening half — Spain led by as many as 7 late in the second quarter, but Mali answered with an 8–0 run midway through the first to seize early control. At halftime, Mali held a narrow 32–34 deficit. The third quarter proved decisive: Mali outscored Spain 31–19 to build a commanding 16–point lead at 71–55 with 6:42 remaining in the fourth. Spain mounted a late rally in the final quarter but could not close the gap, scoring 20 points to Mali's 19 down the stretch. Sika Kone anchored Mali's offense with a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds on efficient shooting (7/9 FG, 3/4 from three, 2/2 FT). Djeneba N'Diaye added 19 points on 6/11 shooting with four made threes, while Alima Dembele orchestrated the floor with 11 points and 4 assists. Iyana Martin led Spain with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, but Megan Gustafson's 16 points on 7/15 shooting could not compensate for Mali's third–quarter onslaught. Mali travel to face Germany Women NT on Monday 7 September in their next Group A outing.
Gustafson's numbers from Women's EuroBasket 2025 are hard to ignore. The Spain Women NT forward averaged 22.5 PPG with a 77.5 TIB EFF rating at that tournament—a frame of reference that shapes how Germany's defence will approach this game. Nyara Sabally projects as the most likely answer. In the same competition, she registered 14.7 PPG and 2 APG, posting a 57 TIB EFF. Germany's playmaking will run through her; the question is whether she can manufacture looks while staying attached to a scorer of Gustafson's calibre on the other end. This pairing cuts to the heart of the matchup. Spain leans on Gustafson's scoring gravity; Germany needs Sabally to control the tempo and force Spain into uncomfortable rhythm. Both have their January form on tape now. Tip-off is minutes away.
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