Team USA advanced to the semifinals of the FIBA Women’s World Cup after steamrolling Hungary 108-56 in the quarterfinals on Thursday in Berlin, Germany. The scoreline was brutal. The Americans turned a knockout game into a rout, then moved on to face Spain in the semifinals on Saturday while the rest of the bracket kept grinding through the later quarterfinal matchup between Australia and Spain.
Who Had the Ball, Who Got Buried
Napheesa Collier led the United States with 19 points and seven rebounds, scoring 10 points in the first half. Breanna Stewart added 8 points, three rebounds and two assists. Kahleah Copper finished with 10 points, five rebounds and two assists. Rhyne Howard scored 15 points and had four steals. Caitlin Clark added 10 points and nine assists. Angel Reese had nine points, six rebounds, two steals and a block in one report, and another report said she finished with the same line and was excited to go into the semifinals looking like this. Sonia Citron returned after taking a hit to the face and going to the locker room, and Kiki Iriafen also got her first tick in the third quarter.
The United States didn’t just win. It controlled every layer of the game. It had 52 paint points, 44 points off turnovers, 28 fast-break points and 31 assists, the most ever in a World Cup quarterfinal game. It shot 60% from the field and won its 34th consecutive World Cup game. The Athletic said the U.S. assisted on 31 of its 40 made shots, the most ever in a quarterfinal game, and connected on 40 of 68 shot attempts, including 12 of 23 from 3-point range. Seven of Team USA’s 12 players made 3-pointers, and the team shot 52% from deep.
The Machine Kept Moving
USA Today said the Americans led by 32 points just ahead of halftime, were up 59-30 at the break and had 15 assists on 24 made shots, 32 paint points and six triples while shooting 65% from the field. It also said the U.S. led 36-12 after one quarter, 93-47 after three and 104-51 with just under five minutes remaining. Hungary never got close. Once the first quarter ended, the game was basically over, as Hungary coach Péter Völgyi put it.
Angel Reese said, "When you have have so much talent around you, it makes everything easy Just trying to figure out the team. We're still trying to figure each other out, but I think we're gelling at the perfect time. Being able to go into the semifinals looking like this feels really good. I'm excited." That’s the language of a team with depth, money, and structure behind it, moving with the confidence of a system built to overwhelm.
Collier said, "Having 30 assists really speaks to the game, the way that we're moving the ball. It's not one-on-one basketball. We're playing as a team. Multiple people are getting touches. We're finding the best shot, not just a good shot. Each game, again, we're improving with that, just getting our chemistry. ... We're taking advantage of each practice, each game that we have and getting better." Copper said, "Winning is fun. There's nothing like winning, and when you've done it at the highest level, you know what it takes. When that ball is moving, we want to get the best possible shot. We want to make sure everyone gets involved."
What the Coaches Call Order
U.S. coach Kara Lawson said, "This was one of our most complete performances of the tournament. Defensively, we were active, forced a lot of turnovers, was really pleased by that. And then offensively, we as coaches love when they share the ball and they did at just a high level, 31 assists on 40 made field goals. So really unselfish for our group and another balanced attack. Pleased to be moving on and excited to find out later who our matchup will be." She also said at halftime that she wanted the team to play with the "appropriate" amount of energy despite the early morning tipoff.
That’s the polished language of high-performance hierarchy: discipline, efficiency, balance, and the smooth conversion of turnovers into points. Hungary paid the price. The United States collected the rewards. The scoreboard did the rest, and the 108-56 final left no room for doubt about who controlled the floor, the pace, and the outcome in Berlin.