The U.S. women's basketball team will face Hungary in the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup quarterfinals after Hungary beat Japan 84-63 on Tuesday, moving to 3-1 in the tournament in Berlin. Hungary shooting guard Réka Lelik led the way with 23 points and eight rebounds in a win in which Japan made an uncharacteristic seven 3-pointers and shot 32% from the field. The win sent the Hungarian national team to its first World Cup quarterfinal since 1986.
The matchup comes after a 3-0 group phase for the United States. The top-ranked Americans opened Sept. 4 against China at Max-Schmeling-Halle, winning 94-61 in a game where the younger players on the roster stood out. Guard Caitlin Clark finished with 14 points and 11 assists, the first double-digit assist game by an American at a World Cup since Dawn Staley had 12 against Russia in 1998. Guard Paige Bueckers added 14 points in her World Cup debut, and forward Angel Reese led the team with nine rebounds off the bench. The veterans carried their share, with guard Jackie Young scoring 12 points and forward Breanna Stewart adding seven points and seven rebounds.
The U.S. played Italy next and edged out a 55-52 win Sept. 6, its closest World Cup game in two decades. Italy's 2-3 zone held the Americans to 29% shooting and 1-for-12 from 3-point range, and the 55 points were the fewest the U.S. has scored in a World Cup game since the 3-point line was introduced in 1984. The Americans closed group play Sept. 7 with a 105-64 win over Czechia at the Berlin Arena, their 33rd consecutive World Cup win. Stewart finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists in under 17 minutes.
No. 19 Hungary opened group play with a loss to France, then beat Nigeria 71-67 and South Korea 82-73. Lelik ranks third in efficiency among players in the tournament. Power forward Dorka Juhász, held to 10 points against Japan, leads Hungary at 15.3 points per game and leads the tournament with 11 rebounds per game.
The quarterfinal carries added weight. Former UConn teammates Bueckers and Juhász will meet, and Hungary will try to apply what Italy showed against the U.S.
"What Italy did on defense was amazing," Lelik said after the win over Japan. "I think we need to continue what they did. ... But on defense we need to focus for 40 minutes."
The U.S. plays Hungary at 5:30 a.m. EDT Thursday, Sept. 10, at the Berlin Arena. The game airs on TNT and streams on HBO Max.
Jocelyn Quintana is a junior majoring in communication studies and psychology. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing piano and keeping up with her favorite basketball, baseball and soccer teams.
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