The German women’s national basketball team have missed out on a medal at the home World Cup. In the third-place play-off, the DBB team were once again beaten by Spain, who proved simply too clinical for the German side. The final score was 58–81 to Spain.
For Spain, this is their fourth World Cup medal; it is their third bronze. In the semi-final, the Spanish side lost to the USA, who will face France – the team that defeated the DBB – in the final at 8 pm. For Germany, despite the defeat, this was their best result at a World Championship.
The DBB women were unable to find a way past 20-year-old Iyana Martin (22 points, 9/15 FG, 9 assists), who was the heart of the Spanish team. On the German side, Leonie Fiebich (10 points, 2/11, 7 rebounds) was virtually non-existent; the top scorer was Nyara Sabally, who scored 13 points. Alexis Peterson-Smalls also scored in double figures (13).
As in the opening game, Spain got off to the better start once again. Martin had already racked up four assists after six minutes; with the score at 9–18 to Germany’s disadvantage, national coach Olaf Lange was forced to call his first time-out. The players’ legs seemed heavy, and there was a lack of drive in their play. A three-point play by Marie Gülich and a three-pointer from Alexandra Wilke towards the end of the quarter at least offered some hope, but Spain still led 25–15 after ten minutes.
DBB women falter after the break
The defence was now tighter; it took the visitors over three minutes to score again. Sabally managed to drive through a few times, whilst Alexis Peterson-Smalls sank a three-pointer from the corner and scored easy points with clever cuts. There was movement in the game again, and following an ‘and-1’ from Emma Eichmeyer, Germany were back within two points (31–33). However, Spain had the upper hand on the boards; the DBB women were at times too timid in their rebounding and once again struggled with turnovers. They had committed eleven in the first half, so the 36:40 half-time score was actually a fair result.
The Spanish starting five then ensured once again that Germany were left trailing. For almost seven minutes, a three-pointer from Fiebich was Germany’s only basket, whilst Spain re-established a double-digit lead (39–55). Two three-pointers from Frieda Bühner, along with a block from Lina Sontag and Sabally, at least provided a brief burst of momentum. Sabally used her power to force two more successful shots, but a three-pointer from Martin made it 51–61 from the German perspective at the end of the quarter.
However, the hope was short-lived; two Spanish three-pointers dented morale, whilst up front the whistles that Sabally and Fiebich, amongst others, had been hoping for failed to materialise. The latter was given a technical foul for complaining. So it played out just as it had the day before; the Germans completely fell apart in the final quarter and thus suffered another heavy defeat. With a good six minutes to go, it was clear that a medal was out of the question, even though the team gave it their all right up until the final buzzer.