The 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup opened on Friday with tons of stories worth headlines. On opening day that featured teams like Australia, Japan, the USA, and China, Saki Hayashi made history. The Japanese star broke a record held for over two decades, giving her team a much-needed win.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Unfortunately for Australia, despite their convincing win over Puerto Rico, they came out of the game with news that could jeopardize their World Cup run. Alanna Smith’s injury has given Sandy Brondello and the Opals a new headache ahead of their next game against Turkey.
Meanwhile, Caitlin Clark and Team USA had a statement win over China, showcasing that they remain effective even without veteran stars A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum. Let’s take a brief look at the biggest stories from the opening day of the 2026 FIBA World Cup.
Japan defeats Mali behind historic night from Saki Hayashi
Saki Hayashi was Japan’s biggest player on the opening day of the FIBA World Cup. Her unconventional 3-point shooting style became the biggest tool and perhaps the Japanese offense’s biggest surprise for Mali’s defense.
It was a historic night for Japan both as a team and for Hayashi. Her nine 3-pointers broke the previous record held for 24 years. Moreover, Japan made 20 three-pointers in the game, which became the most by a team in the FIBA Women’s World Cup’s history. They broke their own record (18), jointly held with Australia, and also hold the third-most 3-pointers (16) on the list.
Hayashi broke the previous record of 8 three-pointers, matched by Korea’s Beon Yeon-Ha since 2002. Cuba’s Gricel Herrera Mendez initially set the 8 three-pointers record in a FIBA Women’s World Cup game in 1998.
Despite her historic night, Hayashi couldn’t get the first two misses out of her head. The Japanese competitor was insistent on getting better.
“Obviously I am happy, but it is just my job to shoot. It’s what we have to do to win. In the locker room, it is a given that I am going to shoot threes. However, I made nine, but I air-balled my first two, so it’s something I have to go back and work on,” she told the media.
Hayashi shot from every corner on the court, leading the team with 27 points in just over 23 minutes. She shot 9-of-15 from beyond the arc. She was one of Japan’s most impactful players, adding 3 rebounds and 2 steals along with a +9 in plus/minus.
Japan led the game for just over seven minutes, compared to Mali’s 30 minutes. Japan entered the last period trailing 71-73. The 10th-ranked team in the world eventually tied the score at 79-79, putting Mali under pressure.
Japan still trailed 81-82 with just five minutes left in the game. Hayashi came to the rescue and hit a 3-pointer to give Japan an 84-83 lead. Mali answered with a 2-pointer. But on her best night, Hayashi dared another shot from her sweet spot to snatch the lead from her opponents. In the next three minutes, Japan kept the momentum going and went 2-of-2 from the field. Once they took a 91-85 lead, Mali never recovered, losing 102-97.
Caitlin Clark shines in World Cup debut as Team USA dominate China
There was widespread outrage on social media after Team USA head coach Kara Lawson started with Chelsea Gray as her starting point guard. Of course, the Blue Devils’ head coach has a very different plan for her young star. Clark ended up playing the most minutes on the team.
In her World Cup debut, Clark was simply outstanding, playing a remarkable game, especially on the offensive end. She was Team USA’s most impactful player with 22 efficiency. She also led the team with +33 in plus/minus. The Indiana Fever star scored a game-high 14 points (tied with Rhyne Howard and Paige Bueckers) and 11 assists without committing a turnover. After the game, Team USA guard deflected the praise on her teammates.
“Obviously, being around so many talented players, obviously our guards are incredible and our bigs too, but you know anybody I pass the ball to, it feels like they’re never going to miss a shot. That’s one of my goals when I come into the game — to facilitate,” she told reporters after the win.
While Clark is one of the best scorers in the WNBA, playmaking comes easily to her. Her 11 assists are only behind the great Dawn Staley, who dished out 12 assists in a win over Russia in 1998. Staley is tied at the top with Teresa Edwards’ 12 assists against China in 1986.
The Opals face concern over Alanna Smith’s injury
The Australian team came out with a convincing 70-54 win over Puerto Rico on the opening day of the FIBA World Cup. However, not everything was happy news in the Opals’ camp. Alanna Smith, who was having a surreal game, had to exit the contest with lower-leg tightness.
The reigning WNBA Defensive Player of the Year had scored 10 points and 8 rebounds in the 12 minutes she was on the floor. She appeared to have suffered the injury in the second quarter when the ball tipped off her at the 3-point line. Although Smith sat on the bench in her hoodie, she remained out of action for the rest of the game.
“Obviously we’re praying that she’ll be okay. She’s such a big part of what we do, and she had played great in the 12 minutes that she did play,” coach Sandy Brondello told the media after the game.
According to ESPN’s Kane Pitman, Smith’s injury wasn’t serious, and the team kept her out of action for the rest of the game just as a precautionary measure.
Korea defeats Nigeria behind Jihyun Park’s stellar performance
Between Korea and Nigeria, the former posted a dominant 99-81 win on the opening day. The Koreans dominated the game for three of the four quarters and came away with a win in their first group stage game behind Jihyun Park.
She was Korea’s best player, tallying a game-high 27 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 6 steals in just over 29:17 minutes. She shot 7-of-15 from the field, including 3-of-6 from the 3-point line. She also made 10 of her 11 free-throw attempts and posted +17 plus/minus.
Amy Okonkwo was Nigeria’s best player, posting 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. She made 8 of her 15 shots from the field, including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to help Nigeria challenge South Korea’s lead.
So, with day one wrapped up, Spain has taken the lead in Group A, France in Group B, Australia in Group C, and Team USA in Group D.