International players increase their impact in opening FIBA World Cup games

Players participating in the FIBA World Cup are finding opportunities for larger roles on their national teams compared to their WNBA assignments. During the opening day of tournament play on Friday, several athletes recorded high-scoring performances across their respective matchups. Mali’s Sika Koné finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds in a five-point loss to Japan, while Nigeria’s Amy Okonkwo recorded 22 points in a defeat against South Korea. Japan established a tournament record by hitting 20 3-pointers, with Saki Hayashi accounting for nine of those shots. Teams are now preparing for a second round of group stage games to determine advancement to the quarter-finals. The tournament continues through the weekend with upcoming games featuring Nigeria facing Hungary, Mali playing Spain, and Japan taking on Germany.

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