A fire alarm was accidentally triggered in the elevator of the hotel housing most Women's Basketball World Cup teams just after 2 a.m., prompting an immediate evacuation of players and staff before they were allowed to return about an hour later, with no fire reported.
Evacuation and Sleep Deprivation
The disruption left the Turkish squad with only about three hours of sleep, a reality highlighted by coach Andrea Masson, who described the night as a “bad night” for his players, though he stopped short of using it as an excuse for the on‑court performance.
In contrast, the Australian team, which had secured separate accommodation, was largely untouched by the alarm; coach Sandy Brondello called the incident a “what‑if situation,” while forward Ezi Magbegor described the chaos as “kind of crazy” and noted it was beyond the team’s control.
Game Action
The Australian side took the court at 11:30 a.m. and defeated Turkey 87‑71, securing their first victory of the tournament despite the early‑morning turmoil.
With the alarm proven to be a false trigger, organizers and teams moved to restore normalcy, and the episode underscored how even a brief, non‑dangerous disruption can affect rest and focus during a high‑stakes competition.