Semifinal Saturday. The United States plays Spain today, September 12 at 2 p.m. ET on TBS, and France plays host Germany at 10:30 a.m. ET on TBS and truTV; both stream on HBO Max. Thursday’s quarterfinals went to the favorites on the top half and produced one upset on the bottom: the Americans beat Hungary 108-56, Spain beat Australia 89-66, France beat China 90-61 and Germany beat EuroBasket champion Belgium 93-74 for its first World Cup semifinal.
| Quarterfinal | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|
| United States vs. Hungary | 5:30 a.m. | USA 108, Hungary 56 |
| France vs. China | 8:30 a.m. | France 90, China 61 |
| Belgium vs. Germany | 11:45 a.m. | Germany 93, Belgium 74 |
| Australia vs. Spain | 2:45 p.m. | Spain 89, Australia 66 |
The Semifinal Bracket
| Semifinal, Saturday Sept. 12 | Matchup |
|---|---|
| Top half | United States vs. Spain, Saturday 2 p.m. ET, TBS and HBO Max |
| Bottom half | France vs. Germany, Saturday 10:30 a.m. ET, TBS, truTV and HBO Max |
The two semifinals are at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. ET Saturday; FIBA assigns the slots after Thursday’s games. The United States and France, the two favorites, are on opposite halves, so they can only meet in Sunday’s final, a rematch of the one point Paris Olympic gold medal game.
Thursday: United States 108, Hungary 56
The highest scoring quarterfinal in World Cup history. The Americans shot 60 percent, made 12 of 22 threes and set a quarterfinal record with 31 assists. Napheesa Collier scored 19 as Player of the Game, Rhyne Howard had 15, and Kahleah Copper, Caitlin Clark and Jackie Young had 10 each; Clark added 9 assists. Réka Lelik led Hungary with 12. It was the 34th straight World Cup win for the United States, a run that began after the 2006 semifinals. Hungary’s first quarterfinal in 40 years is still its best ever World Cup finish.
How the Bracket Was Built
Sixteen teams played in four groups from September 4 to 7. The four group winners, Spain in Group A, France in Group B, Belgium in Group C and the United States in Group D, advanced straight to the quarterfinals. The second and third place teams from each group dropped into a single elimination qualification round on Tuesday and Wednesday to fill the other four spots.
Qualification Round Results
| Date | Result | Quarterfinal reward |
|---|---|---|
| Tue Sept. 8 | Hungary 84, Japan 63 | United States |
| Tue Sept. 8 | Germany 94, South Korea 56 | Belgium |
| Wed Sept. 9 | China 75, Puerto Rico 72 | France |
| Wed Sept. 9 | Australia 82, Italy 80 | Spain |
Réka Lelik scored 23 with eight rebounds for Hungary on Tuesday, and Germany, in front of a home crowd at Berlin Arena, led South Korea by 17 at halftime behind 19 from captain Marie Gülich. Wednesday was tighter. Han Xu hit a step back three with under three minutes left to put China ahead of Puerto Rico for good and finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds, her fourth double double in four games; Trinity San Antonio had 24 for Puerto Rico. Australia then blew a 26 point lead against Italy, which tied it at 77 before Zitina Aokuso’s layup with 24 seconds left won it. Isobel Borlase scored 30 off the bench, the highest individual total of the tournament, and Costanza Verona had 23 for Italy.
The Full Schedule From Here
| Round | Date and time (ET) |
|---|---|
| Qualification round | September 8 and 9, complete |
| Quarterfinals | Thursday, September 10, complete |
| Semifinals | Saturday, September 12, 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., today |
| Third place game | Sunday, September 13, 10:30 a.m. |
| Final | Sunday, September 13, 2 p.m. on TNT |
Where to Watch
TNT Sports has the U.S. rights. TNT and truTV carry every Team USA game and every knockout game, and HBO Max streams all 36. The tournament is played at Berlin Arena and Max-Schmeling-Halle.
What Is at Stake Beyond the Trophy
The champion earns direct qualification for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. The United States already has a place as host, so if the Americans win, that berth passes further down the qualification system. A fifth straight American title would tie the Soviet Union’s record of five in a row from 1959 to 1975.
Related
When Team USA plays next · Games today · Team USA schedule · Tournament format explained · The final · Champions by year
The Bottom Line
Four teams are left. France vs. Germany at 10:30 a.m. ET and the United States vs. Spain at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, then the third place game Sunday morning and the final Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on TNT. The United States and France can still only meet in the final.