The group stages started on Friday with all teams playing on the opening day. Each team will play three games during this stage with the last place in each group getting eliminated. The team in the top spot of each group will advance directly to the quarterfinals while the teams in second and third place will start the knockout rounds without getting a bye.
Group A
The first game in this group ended up being quite a fun start for the tournament. Mali had an upset on their minds with the trio of Aminata Sangare, Djeneba N’Diaye, and Sika Kone playing fantastically. Japan did not stop launching shots from distance, finishing with an impressive percentage led by Saki Hayashi to get the 102-97 win. Spain started their game on absolute fire and made the home fans suffer for the whole game in a dominant 83-53 win over Germany.
https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-womens-basketball-world-cup-2026/games/128116-JPN-MLI#boxscore
Japan [102]: Hayashi 27 Tanaka 18/7a Takada 14 Konno 11 Yamamoto 10 Tokashiki 7 Todo 5 Mawuli 4 Miyazawa 3 Goto 3 Asahina 0 Machida 0
Mali [97]: A. Sangare 22/8r N’Diaye 22/6a Kone 21/11r Dembele 14 Haidara 7 Sanou 6 Doumbia 3 Cisse 2 Dabou 0 Balayera 0 D. Sangare 0 Coulibaly 0
https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-womens-basketball-world-cup-2026/games/128117-ESP-GER#boxscore
Spain [83]: Fam 17 Conde 13 Martin 12 Carrera 10/10r DiLeo 7/6r Cazorla 7 Ginzo 6 Florez 3 Pueyo 3 Ortiz 3 Buenavida 2 Torrens 0
Germany [53]: Fiebich 13/6r Sabally 10/7r Gulich 8 Peterson 7 Buhner 4 Geiselsoder 4 Wilke 3 Eichmeyer 2 Bielefeld 2 Sontag 0 Daub 0 Bessoir 0
Group B
The first surprise of the day came in this group after South Korea put on a show late, expanding their lead and getting the 99-81 win. Park Ji-Hyun and Kang Lee-Seul led them as the offense generated great looks for shots while Amy Okonkwo led Nigeria. The other game in the group closed the day and it was all France immediately. They did not slow down at all, racing past Hungary 99-53.
https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-womens-basketball-world-cup-2026/games/128123-KOR-NGR#boxscore
South Korea [99]: Park J-H 27/6r/6s Kang L-S 20/7a Choi 19 Lee H-R 17 Lee S-H 7 Jin 5 An 2/8a Heo 2/6a Hong 0 Kang Y-L 0 Park S-H 0 Jeong 0
Nigeria [81]: Okonkwo 22/7r Musa 15/13r Kalu 11 Macaulay 10 Kunaiyi-Akpanah 7 Obi 6 Amukamara 5 Balogun 3 Efosa 2 Igbokwe 0 Dauda 0 Enabosi 0
https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-womens-basketball-world-cup-2026/games/128122-HUN-FRA#boxscore
Hungary [53]: Juhasz 10/10r Takacs-Kiss 8/8r Lelik 8 Dul 7 Aho 4 Kanyasi 4 Torok 4 Ratkai 4 Barnai 2 Turner 2 Josepovits 0 Studer 0
France [99]: Malonga 17/10r Williams 17 Johannes 17 Lacan 9 Ayayi 9 Salaun 8/7r Astier 6 Leite 6 Badiane 5 Toure 3 Gueye 2 Bernies 0
Group C
In the first game in this group, Australia pretty much controlled the entire game in a 70-54 win over Puerto Rico, but will now need to wait on more news on the player availability front. Turkey started well in their return as they had the narrow lead at halftime. Belgium kept the pressure on in the second half and looked more like they team that they were expected to before the tournament, getting the 89-75 win with Emma Meesseman and Julie Vanloo leading the way.
https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-womens-basketball-world-cup-2026/games/128129-AUS-PUR#boxscore
Australia [70]: Talbot 19/8r Magbegor 11/9r Smith 10/8r Melbourne 10 Aokuso 6/9r Borlase 6 Wilson 5/6r Bibby 3 Fowler 0 Reid 0 Bourne 0 Sowah 0
Puerto Rico [54]: Guirantes 14/10r McGee-Stafford 11/12r San Antonio 11/7s Melendez 6/7r Jones 6 Gonzalez 3 Rosado 2 Roma 1 Solis 0 Pagan 0 Benitez 0 De Leon DNP
https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-womens-basketball-world-cup-2026/games/128128-BEL-TUR#boxscore
Belgium [89]: Meesseman 27/9r Vanloo 22 Linskens 11/8r Claessens 7 Bi. Massey 5 Delaere 4 Allemand 4/9a Lisowa Mbaka 4 Be. Massey 3 Ramette 2 Mununga 0 Courthiau DNP
Turkey [75]: Burke 17 Uzun 11/11a Bayram 10 Senyurek 10 Erdogan 10 Cakir 7/9r/7a Fitik 7 Atas 3 Cora 0 Ural 0 Uzunoglu 0 Istanbulluoglu 0
Group D
This group started play with a championship game rematch from four years ago and there was no change in the result as the United States opened their title defense with a 94-61 win over China. The other game in this group stayed close throughout as Julie Pospisilova and Czechia took the lead early and held it for most of the first half. Italy fought back and had the better of the second half to get the 63-54 win.
https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-womens-basketball-world-cup-2026/games/128134-USA-CHN#boxscore
United States [94]: Clark 14/11a Howard 14 Bueckers 14 Young 12 Stewart 7/7r Boston 7 Reese 5/9r Copper 5 Iriafen 5 Gray 5 Collier 4/6r Citron 2
China [61]: Zhang ZY 13/6r Luo 13/6r Han 11/10r Zhang MM 7 Chen YJ 5 Yang 4 Li 4 Chen ML 2 Tang 2 Sun 0 Jia 0 Wang DNP
https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-womens-basketball-world-cup-2026/games/128135-CZE-ITA#boxscore
Czechia [54]: Pospisilova 21 Vorackova 12 Joklova 7/10r Andelova 5 Hanusova 5 Stoupalova 2 Holesinska 2 Koucka 0 Malikova 0 Zeithammerova 0 Fucikova DNP Kalna DNP
Italy [63]: Zandalasini 19 Villa 14 Andre 6/8r Verona 6/6r Cubaj 5/9r Pan 5 Madera 3 Keys 2 Pasa 2 Santucci 1 Blasigh 0 Fassina DNP
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