Both tournaments started on Monday with two spots on the line for the World Cup qualifying tournaments that will be played in 2026. The top four teams from each confederation that did not qualify for the Olympics earned spots in these tournaments, which were awarded to two hosts. Each tournament has their eight teams divided into two groups, each featuring a team from each region. The top two teams in each group will advance to the semifinals and only the ultimate winner will get a spot in World Cup qualifying before more spots are determined in next year’s continental tournaments.
Rwanda
Group C
The first games in a long day of basketball were in this group, starting with teams that missed out on Olympic qualification. Hungary, which just fell short after finishing fourth in EuroBasket, had a long preparation for this tournament, but a good game from Debora Dubei was not enough after African runners up Senegal fended them off 63-61. The other game was also a good one as American champions Brazil had a tough time against the sixth place team from Asia-Oceania and won 77-74 against Jack Animam and the Philippines after their heartbreaking miss in Olympic qualifying and before they head to the South American championship.
https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-womens-basketball-world-cup-2026-pre-qualifying-tournament-kigali-rwanda/games/122693-HUN-SEN
Hungary [61]: Dubei 24 Hatar 10 Lelik 10 Kiss 7 Torok 7 Dombai 3 Studer 0 Angyal 0 Kanyasi 0 Miklos DNP Varga DNP Toth DNP
Senegal [63]: Kane 16/6r Dillard 14/6a Sene 9/8r Sarr 7/6r Ndiaye 6 Diagne 4 Y. Diop 3 Pouye 2 M. Diop 2 Fall 0 Gueye 0 Niang 0
https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-womens-basketball-world-cup-2026-pre-qualifying-tournament-kigali-rwanda/games/122695-BRA-PHI#boxscore
Brazil [77]: Soares 15 De Oliveira 13 Albiero 12 Martins 11/8r/8a Goncalo 7 D’Arrigo 6 Silva 6 Moura 3/13r Pereira 2 Zabani 2 Guimaraes 0/6r Cavalcanti DNP
Philippines [74]: Animam 18/21r Bernardino 14/7r Panganiban 13 Berberabe 9 Castillo 9 Pontejos 6 Dela Rosa 5 Fajardo 0 Ozar 0 Nolasco 0 Yumul 0
Group D
The day continued with the games in this group in Kigali and the theme of close encounters continued when Argentina, the seventh place team in the Americas, stifled Great Britain, which qualified out of tenth place in Europe only due to Italy declining to participate, 53-47. The hosts were the only team to have any easy win as the fourth place team in Africa had Bella Murekatete available alongside the newly naturalized Keisha Hampton and defeated Asia-Oceania seventh place team Lebanon 80-62.
https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-womens-basketball-world-cup-2026-pre-qualifying-tournament-kigali-rwanda/games/122699-GBR-ARG#boxscore
Great Britain [47]: Winterburn 11/6r Price 10/6r Ashby 7/9r Robb 5 Beckford-Norton 5 Ottewill-Soulsby 4 Wilkinson 2/9r Da Silva 2 Harrison 1 Ford DNP Januszewska DNP
Argentina [53]: D’Urso 19 Chagas 11/7r Cabrera 6 Burani 5/11r Siciliano 5 Gauna 2/6r Gentinetta 2 Martinez 2 Gretter 1/6a Mungo 0 Botta DNP Saravia DNP
https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-womens-basketball-world-cup-2026-pre-qualifying-tournament-kigali-rwanda/games/122698-RWA-LBN#boxscore
Rwanda [80]: Murekatete 24/7r Hampton 21 Sifa 16 Philoxy 12/12a Kantore 4 Umizeye 3/7r Butera 0 Mugeni 0 Kiyobe 0 Micomyiza 0 Tetero 0 Umugwaneza 0
Lebanon [62]: Mansour 18 Akl 16 Baptiste 11 Elias 9 Nasr 4 El-Husseini 4 Bakhos 0 Toros 0 Ghaleb 0 Assadourian 0 Gyokchyan 0 El Ghali DNP
Mexico
Group A
At the same time as the last game tipped off at the other site, play began in Mexico City in this group. South Korea, which was bounced out of the Olympic picture after finishing fifth in Asia-Oceania, faced Venezuela, the sixth place team from the Americas, and lost 84-78 after Waleska Perez led the way in the win. This tournament did not have strong favorites on paper, but Czechia was definitely happy to have star Julia Reisingerova in the squad after she missed their seventh place finish in Europe and she helped them defeat Africa’s third place team Mali decisively 84-63.
https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-womens-basketball-world-cup-2026-pre-qualifying-tournament-mexico-city-mexico/games/122680-KOR-VEN#boxscore
South Korea [78]: Park J-H 19/6r Kang L-S 17 Park J-S 14/6r Jin 9 Heo 6 Kang Y-L 3 Shin 3 An 2 Lee H-R 2 Kim 2 Park S-H 1 Lee S-H 0
Venezuela [84]: Perez 22/8r Wallen 19 Herlihy 17/9r Fajardo 10 Duran 9/7r/7a Rivera 7 Betancourt 0 Diaz 0 Chile 0 Rudas 0 Pico DNP Urbina DNP
https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-womens-basketball-world-cup-2026-pre-qualifying-tournament-mexico-city-mexico/games/122678-MLI-CZE#boxscore
Mali [63]: Dembele 18 N’Diaye 15 Thienou 9 Haidara 5 Balayera 5 Sanou 3 D. Sissoko 3 Cisse 3 Coulibaly 2 A. Sissoko 0 Kone 0
Czechia [84]: Reisingerova 21/6r Cechova 15/9r Sklenarova 11 Stoupalova 8/9r Vyoralova 7 Hamzova 7 Pospisilova 5 Sotolova 5 Sipova 2 Zeithammerova 2 Rokosova 1 Andelova 0
Group B
Montenegro, which finished eighth at EuroBasket, is the early favorite on this side of the draw and crushed New Zealand, which missed a golden chance for an Olympic spot after finally climbing to fourth place in Asia-Oceania, 88-64. Mexico slid into the host position in this group despite finishing eighth in the Americas as Colombia’s declining to participate gave them this spot in the field. The hosts faced Mozambique, the fifth place team in Africa, in the last game of the day and Mexico rallied in the fourth quarter to win 71-65.
https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-womens-basketball-world-cup-2026-pre-qualifying-tournament-mexico-city-mexico/games/122684-MNE-NZL#boxscore
Montenegro [88]: Kovacevic 18/7r Bigovic 16/6r Zivkovic 11/6a Jovanovic 10 Drobnjak 9 Zivaljevic 9 Pasic 7 Lekovic 6 Scepanovic 2/6r Radonjic 0 Vukcevic 0 Ilic 0
New Zealand [64]: Tamilo 11/6r Davidson 11 Reed 9 Dale 8 Whittaker 7 Hokianga 5 McGoldrick 4 Tofaeono 4 Flavell 3 Fotu 2 Whittaker 0 Strawbridge 0
https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-womens-basketball-world-cup-2026-pre-qualifying-tournament-mexico-city-mexico/games/122683-MEX-MOZ#boxscore
Mexico [71]: Jaquez 19/8r Ramirez 16/6a Ramos 10 Dani. Soto 8 Payan 6/10r Gil 6 Martinez 5 Lara 1 Hernandez 0 Beltran 0 Dana Soto DNP Lagunas DNP
Mozambique [65]: Sumbane 16 Mafanela 13/7r Pinto 11/7r Mucauro 10/10r Veloso 5 Zita 4/6r S. Chiziane 3 Lhavanguane 3 V. Covane 0 N. Chiziane 0 C. Covane 0 Seda DNP
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