Just hours after their spectacular debut in Berlin against Germany, Spain couldn't find the energy and was clearly outplayed by Mali, who combined physical strength with intelligence and, above all, better shooting accuracy, with Kone and Ndiaye (19 points each) leading the way. Iyana Martín (20) and Gustafson (16) weren't enough. Spain returns to action Monday to close the group stage against Japan in a crucial matchup.
It was expected that the Spanish team would run out of gas in the opening minutes after having virtually no time to recover from their debut against Germany. And that's exactly what happened. Mali dominated the early stages thanks to their strength on the defensive glass and the speed of their counterattacks, not only in transition but also with long outlet passes. Spain's initial 3-0 lead with three points from María Conde quickly faded from the scoreboard, with Mali taking control by as much as 9-17 (minute 7), in part because Spain, unlike Friday, couldn't find their shooting touch from beyond the arc (0 of 9 in the first half).
Spain reversed the situation with fresh legs off the bench and Gustafson's excellent play and accuracy in the paint. Her 9 points first balanced the game and then, with support from Iyana and Fam adding interior baskets off the bench, Spain built a +7 lead (32-25, minute 18) that allowed them to reach halftime ahead, though by just one point, 34-32, after a 0-5 stretch in less than a minute, including a three-pointer from Ndiaye, the first of the game.
But as the second half progressed, Spain couldn't recover their energy and Mali played with strength, intelligence, and better accuracy on their attacks, especially from three-point range, which gradually eroded Spain's efforts to stay in the game. Flórez hit Spain's first three-pointer in the 25th minute (43-44), but when Gustafson made the second one, Spain was already struggling (51-61, minute 29) and couldn't reverse the momentum in the final ten minutes.
As Mali's players kept scoring, with Ndiaye and Kone as the sharpest weapons, Spain ran out of resources. With Spain exhausted and Mali believing they could do anything, the scoreboard reached a decisive -16 (57-73, minute 34) that left no room for a comeback. Spain also struggled from the free-throw line and, in the final two minutes, couldn't execute well in ball control and shots in the paint. The points from Iyana (20) and Gustafson (16) weren't enough.
Now Spain will have some rest before closing the group stage. They'll do so Monday against Japan (17:50) in an absolutely crucial game for their chances in this World Cup.