The second day of the 2026 FIBA World Cup in Berlin followed the opening day with more historic feats, including the first big stunner of the tournament. Among teams facing each other on Day 2, Mali stunned world No. 6 and Women’s EuroBasket 2025 runner-up Spain to record their second win in WC history. In another matchup, Hungary defeated Nigeria for their first win in 28 years.

Among stars, Mali’s Sika Kone stood out for her team for the second time in two days. Kone’s win was also sweetened by her personal historic feat of a double-double. On the other hand, double-double performances from Hungary’s twin towers, Dorka Juhasz and Virag Takacs-Kiss, dominated the other headline from Saturday.

So, let’s take a brief look at the top storyline from day 2 of the 2026 FIBA World Cup action.

Mali pulls off first 2026 FIBA World Cup upset, defeats Spain

When Mali took on Spain on Saturday, it was out in the open that they had spent a lot of time in the film room. Unlike the mistakes they had made against Japan in their tournament opener, they rectified those against Spain, pulling off the first epic upset.

Mali, ranked No. 18 by FIBA, took a two-point lead in the opening quarter, but Spain responded right back in the second quarter, holding the African team to just 13 points and outscoring them by four points. However, it was the third quarter that Mali turned the tables with 4:49 left.

While Spain had the one-point lead, Mali knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to take a 50-45 lead and didn’t let up, finishing the quarter 63-53. No. 6 Spain never really recovered, losing the game 82-73.

Given how they lost their first game, Mali kept their game tight on both ends to the last minute. They maintained their defensive energy and answered Spain’s buckets in the fourth quarter, quashing their opponents’ last remaining dream of making a comeback. 

Mali’s starting lineup played excellent basketball, with all of them recording impact on the positive side of plus/minus. Rokia Doumbia excelled in her role as the leading playmaker, recording a game-high nine assists and 2 steals. Djeneba N’Diaye and Sika Kone led the team with 19 points each, along with an 11-point contribution from Alima Dembele.

However, it was Kone who was her team’s hero on a night when her team faced a formidable opponent. She made her mark in FIBA history, leading her team on both ends.

Sika Kone’s historic night and shoutout from her WNBA teammate

Sika Kone dominated the headlines with her own numbers in Mali’s historic win. After recording her back-to-back double-double in Mali’s first two games, Kone became the first player in FIBA World Cup history to have recorded five consecutive double-doubles. After the win, Kone paid more attention to what they achieved as a team rather than her own historic feat.

“Spain is one of the best teams, so to be able to beat them is amazing,” she told reporters while her teammates celebrated the stunner.

“Also, we have good players too, but we just have to believe in it and try to stay with the game plan.”

However, Kone had a specific advantage against her opponents. She was aware of the brand of basketball that Spanish coaches play, and that knowledge gave her a comfortable zone to operate.

“I mean, great. We know each other a little bit. We know what we do the best, what we don’t do the best. So, we tried to take those things and it was great to play against them.”

Kone has spent most of her professional career playing in Spain, since she was 19 years old. The Dream player played for SPAR Gran Canaria from 2019-23. In her next stint, she joined Perfumerías Avenida for the next two years before joining CAB Estepona Jardin for the 2026 season.

While Kone celebrated the win with her teammates, she got a special shoutout from her WNBA star teammate. Her Atlanta Dream teammate, Angel Reese, acknowledged Sika’s performance with a hype message.

“Don’t play with Sika My Queen!” Reese wrote in her post on X right after the game.

While Sika is showing off her potential at the World Cup, she averages only 5.0 minutes per game with the Dream. It is just an indicator of the WNBA’s talent depth. Since Team USA (Group D) and Mali (Group A) are in different groups, they can only meet in the knockout stage. If at all they do, Angel Reese vs. Sika Kone will be something to look forward to for basketball fanatics.

Dorka Juhasz dominates on a historic night for Hungary

Dorka Juhasz led the Hungary team to end an almost three-decade FIBA World Cup drought in Berlin. After a humiliating 46-point loss to France on the opening day, Hungary responded with a historic win. On Saturday, they won their first game in 28 years, and at the center of their historic win were their twin towers, Juhasz and Virag Takacs-Kiss.

Juhasz led Hungary’s tough assignments on both ends of the floor, finishing with 13 points and 11 rebounds at halftime while her team took a 10-point lead. She cooled down a bit in the second half, so did her team. However, they were able to hold off Nigeria to secure the win despite their last-quarter push.

Nigeria had come close to extending Hungary’s drought in the last minutes of the game. With just under four minutes remaining in the game, Hungary had a 14-point lead. Nigeria was able to trim the lead to just two points with Elizabeth Balogun’s layup. However, Reka Lelik sealed the win with two free throws in the last second.

Juhasz finished the game with 19 points, 16 rebounds and 2 steals. She also posted team-best +7 in just over 32 minutes of action. The power forward made 9 of her 15 attempts from the field.

Center Virag Takacs-Kiss also delivered a second double-double for their nation. She recorded 17 points, 14 rebounds and 2 blocks in just over 31 minutes. Reka Lelik added 14 points.

The duo also set a new FIBA World Cup record for combined rebounds by a duo. Before the Hungary vs. Nigeria game, Russians Elena Baranova and Elena Khoudachova had set the benchmark at 28 against Australia in 1998. Juhasz and Takacs-Kiss set the new benchmark at 30.

So Day 2 didn’t just give us the first big upset of the tournament, but new records as well.