Japan fell to Spain 79-59 in the Women’s Basketball World Cup group stage on Monday, with the Spanish side pulling ahead after a tight first half that ended 39-36 in their favor.
Despite the loss, Japan finished Group A with a 1-2 record, edging out Mali thanks to a decisive head‑to‑head victory that secured the third‑placed spot and a place in the quarterfinal.
Quarterfinal Prospects
The quarterfinal will see Japan travel to Berlin to meet Hungary on Tuesday, a team that finished as runner‑up in Group B and currently holds the 19th spot in the world rankings.
Corey Gaines, who heads Japan’s coaching staff, praised his players for their resilience, while point guard Kokoro Tanaka led the scoring with 15 points and bench guard Norika Konno added 12 off the bench.
Ranked tenth globally, Japan now faces a Hungarian side positioned 19th, making the upcoming clash a test of whether the Japanese squad can translate its group‑stage experience into a deeper tournament run.