2018 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup final explained

Game Name:2018 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Final
Visitor Association:
Home:
Home Association:
Event:2018 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup
Visitor Coach:Sandy Brondello (AUS)
Home Coach:Dawn Staley (USA)
Visitor Total:56
Home Total:73
Visitor Per1:15
Visitor Per2:12
Visitor Per3:11
Visitor Per4:18
Home Per1:20
Home Per2:15
Home Per3:26
Home Per4:12
Date:30 September 2018
Stadium:Tenerife Sports Pavilion Santiago Martin
City:San Cristóbal de La Laguna
Referee:Antonio Conde (ESP)
Yu Jung (TPE)
Yohan Rosso (FRA)
Attendance:3,715
Previous:2014
Next:2022

The 2018 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Final was a basketball game which took place on 30 September 2018 at Tenerife Sports Pavilion Santiago Martin in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain, to determine the winner of the 2018 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup.

This was the first time the and played against each other in a World Cup Final. Their last game against each other at World Cup level came in 2014, with the United States taking an 82–70 victory.

Team USA won again, this time 73–56, to win their third straight and tenth overall title.[1] [2]

Road to the final

AustraliaRoundUnited States
OpponentResultGroup stageOpponentResult
86–68Match 187–67
84–43Match 2100–88
90–64Match 3102–76
Final standing
OpponentResultKnockout stageOpponentResult
83–42Quarter-finals71–40
72–66Semifinals93–77

Australia

Australia qualified by finishing second in the 2017 FIBA Asia Women's Cup. They were drawn into Group B with, and .[3]

United States

The Americans qualified by virtue of being the defending Olympic champions, after defeating in the 2016 gold medal game. They were drawn into Group D with, and .

Match details

This was the eleventh meeting between Australia and the United States in the World Cup, with the USA leading the head-to-head 10–0. It was the first meeting between the two in a World Cup final.

The teams entered the game with an even deeper familiarity with one another due to extensive WNBA connections, which went beyond the fact that many USA and Australian players had played in the league's 2018 season. At match time, Australia head coach Sandy Brondello was also head coach of the Phoenix Mercury, then home to Australia's Stephanie Talbot and Americans Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi. Rebecca Allen (Australia) and Tina Charles (USA) were New York Liberty teammates in that season. Five individuals who played significant roles in the Seattle Storm's victory in the 2018 WNBA Finals were involved in this game—American players Sue Bird, Jewell Loyd, and Breanna Stewart, Australian player Sami Whitcomb, and Storm head coach and USA assistant Dan Hughes.[4]

align=left colspan="3"Players:
G/F 4align=left 6 0 4
G/F 6align=left Stephanie Talbot4 3 0
G 7align=left 4 3 2
C 8align=left Liz Cambage7 14 1
F 9align=left Rebecca Allen2 3 1
G 10align=left Katie-Rae Ebzery6 2 1
F 11align=left 10 0 1
C 12align=left 5 3 0
F 13align=left 6 4 0
G 14align=left 3 1 0
C 15align=left Cayla George0 4 0
G 32align=left 3 6 3
align=left colspan=7Head coach:
Sandy Brondello
AustraliaStatisticUnited States
18/45 (40.0%) 2-pt field goals 19/52 (36.5%)
4/22 (18.2%) 3-pt field goals 6/19 (31.6%)
8/12 (66.7%) Free throws 17/23 (73.9%)
14 Offensive rebounds 14
35 Defensive rebounds 32
49 Total rebounds 46
13 Assists 18
19 Turnovers 12
4 Steals 7
8 Blocks 6
24 Fouls 16
align=left colspan="3"Players:
G 49 3 3
G 52 1 0
G 6Sue Bird6 4 5
G 72 1 0
F 82 0 0
F 92 4 0
F 10Breanna Stewart10 8 2
F 112 3 0
G 12Diana Taurasi13 3 4
F 134 3 3
C 14Tina Charles6 4 1
C 15Brittney Griner15 3 0
align=left colspan=7Head coach:
Dawn Staley
*– Starters

Notes and References

  1. Web site: USA three-peat as World Champions, punch ticket to Tokyo 2020 Olympics. 30 September 2018. fiba.basketball.
  2. Web site: Final standings - FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2018 - FIBA.basketball.
  3. News: FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2018 draw completed. FIBA.com . 2 June 2018.
  4. Web site: Can Team USA topple Liz Cambage, Australia in gold-medal game? . Mechelle . Voepel . . 29 September 2018 . 30 September 2018.