2018 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Final

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.

2018 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Final
Event2018 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup
Australia United States
56 73
1234 Total
Australia 15121118 56
United States 20152612 73
Date30 September 2018
VenueTenerife Sports Pavilion Santiago Martin, San Cristóbal de La Laguna
Coaches
RefereesAntonio Conde (ESP)
Yu Jung (TPE)
Yohan Rosso (FRA)
Attendance3,715

This was the first time the United States and Australia 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
Australia Round United States
Opponent Result Group stage Opponent Result
 Nigeria 86–68 Match 1  Senegal 87–67
 Argentina 84–43 Match 2  China 100–88
 Turkey 90–64 Match 3  Latvia 102–76
Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1  Australia 3 3 0 260 175 +85 6 Quarterfinals
2  Nigeria 3 2 1 217 224 −7 5 Qualification round
3  Turkey 3 1 2 195 201 −6 4
4  Argentina 3 0 3 150 222 −72 3
Source: FIBA
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head results; 3) Points difference; 4) Points scored.
 Final standing
Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1  United States 3 3 0 289 231 +58 6 Quarterfinals
2  China 3 2 1 227 227 0 5 Qualification round
3  Senegal 3 1 2 203 231 −28 4
4  Latvia 3 0 3 206 236 −30 3
Source: FIBA
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head results; 3) Points difference; 4) Points scored.
Opponent Result Knockout stage Opponent Result
 China 83–42 Quarter-finals  Nigeria 71–40
 Spain 72–66 Semifinals  Belgium 93–77

Australia

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

United States

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

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]

30 September 2018
20:00
Australia  56–73  United States
Scoring by quarter: 15–20, 12–15, 11–26, 18–12
Pts: Smith 10
Rebs: Cambage 14
Asts: O'Hea 4		 Pts: Griner 15
Rebs: Stewart 8
Asts: Bird 5
Tenerife Sports Pavilion Santiago Martin, San Cristóbal de La Laguna
Attendance: 3,715
Referees: Antonio Conde (ESP), Yu Jung (TPE), Yohan Rosso (FRA)

*– Starters

References
  1. "USA three-peat as World Champions, punch ticket to Tokyo 2020 Olympics". fiba.basketball. 30 September 2018.
  2. https://www.fiba.basketball/womensbasketballworldcup/2018/groups
  3. "FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2018 draw completed". FIBA.com. 2 June 2018.
  4. Voepel, Mechelle (29 September 2018). "Can Team USA topple Liz Cambage, Australia in gold-medal game?". ESPN.com. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
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