Australia and Japan start women’s basketball World Cup with wins; US faces China later

BERLIN (AP) — Australia and Japan both won their opening games as the women’s basketball World Cup began on Friday.

Steph Talbot scored 19 points as Australia defeated Puerto Rico 70-54, and Japan finished strongly to defeat Mali 102-97 with Saki Hayashi contributing 27 points.

Mali led for most of their game before Mai Yamamoto brought Japan level for the first time at 79-79 with 6:30 left in the final quarter. Kokoro Tanaka completed the scoring with a free throw.

Mali had been looking for its second-ever win in World Cup play. The African nation beat Senegal in overtime in the 15th place game in the 2010 tournament. It lost all five games in the 2022 World Cup in Australia.

Australia lost its opening games at that World Cup and at the Olympics, so a starting win takes the pressure off coach Sandy Brondello’s team with the four group winners in the expanded 16-tournament progressing straight to the quarterfinals.

Japan next plays home team Germany on Saturday, while Australia next faces Turkey on Sunday.

The United States’ bid for a fifth consecutive title was to begin later Friday against a China team featuring some of the tallest women in the world. The 19-year-old Zhang Ziyu stands 7-foot-3 and will be joined by 6-10 Han Xu, already familiar to the U.S. team from her WNBA games with the New York Liberty.

The Americans will be missing four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, whom the team announced Monday would miss the World Cup along with Kelsey Plum. The young roster is led by the trio of Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese.

Their title defense begins at the 9,000 capacity Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin, the same venue where the U.S. defeated Russia in the final for the 1998 title, the country’s sixth.

Germany is hosting and playing in the tournament for the second time. The home team’s campaign was to begin later against Spain in the 14,000 capacity Berlin Arena, the main venue for this 20th edition of the tournament.

Also later, France was to tip off against Hungary, and South Korea was playing Nigeria at Berlin Arena.

Belgium faced Turkey at the Max-Schmeling-Halle, where the Czech Republic was to play Italy.

See AP’s full WNBA coverage here