US still the team to beat as women's FIBA World Cup quarterfinals are set

BERLIN (AP) — The quarterfinals of the women's FIBA World Cup are set and the U.S. is still the team to beat despite facing its stiffest challenge in group play in 50 years.

The Americans have won 33 consecutive games in the tournament and are three victories away from their fifth consecutive World Cup title. They'll face Hungary on Thursday in one of four quarterfinal matchups. France will play China; Belgium faces host Germany and Spain takes on Australia in the other games that day.

U.S. coach Kara Lawson feels that there's a lot more parity and talent around the world these days. But the biggest thing she's seen is that teams are much deeper than they used to be, a major reason why the Americans have been so successful over the years.

“When I played, which was a long time ago, a lot of times you play national teams and they have maybe a good starting five. When we would start to sub it would really get some distance. Now the depth of these teams (is apparent). So, the players that come off the bench in this World Cup, to me, overall, are better than any other World Cup. So, teams have eight and nine players, and you’re seeing that.”

Hungary isn't a team that the U.S. has a lot of recent history with. The two teams have played three times with the most recent coming 40 years ago. The Americans are 3-0. Hungary is led by Dorka Juhasz, who plays with the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA.

“I think it’s gonna be a great game for us," Juhasz said. "Not many times Hungary (has gotten to) face the USA, in any shape or form. So, I think it’s gonna be fun. You know, for us, it’s already a big, big thing that we’re already in the top eight teams in the world. I think it’s been, what, 40 years that Hungary made it?”

The Americans, who edged Italy 55-52 in the second game of pool play, have never lost in the quarterfinal round.

Here's a look at the other three matchups:

No team looked better than France in preliminary play. The French team ran through its three opponents by a tournament-best 127 points. The silver medalists at the 2024 Paris Olympics are led by Gabby Williams, Dominique Malonga and Marine Johannes. For all their success, France hasn't medaled or made it to the semifinals of the World Cup since the inaugural one in 1953. China, which won the silver medal at the 2022 World Cup, is a young team led by Han Xu and 7-foot-3 Zhang Ziyu. They know they'll have a difficult task ahead to reach the medal round.

No team has improved more since its first game of the tournament then Germany. The host country lost to Spain by 30 points, but has rebounded with three impressive wins since. The last of which was routing South Korea in the qualification round. Nyara Sabally and Leonie Fiebich will try and keep this run going against a strong Belgium squad that's led by Emma Meesseman. The Belgians are one of three teams that came through group play without a loss. Coach Mike Thibault has his team ready to try and reach the medal round for the second time in three World Cup tournaments.

Spain will try and get back to the medal round. The Spaniards didn't make the World Cup in 2022, but before that had alternated bronze and silver medals over the previous three tournaments. They are led by Iyana Martin, who is averaging 17.3 points and Awa Fam's 12.3 points. Australia's only loss of the tournament came to Belgium in the final game of group play. The Opals are back in the quarterfinals for the 10th consecutive World Cup. They have reached the medal round in six of the previous seven tournaments. They had to survive blowing a 26-point third quarter lead on Wednesday to edge Italy 82-80.

See AP’s full WNBA coverage here