Turkey Women’s National Basketball Team Beats Portugal 63-51 in World Cup Warm-up

A Milli Kadın Basketbol Takımı secured a 63-51 victory over Portugal at the Basketball Development Center, according to reports from Anadolu Agency. The match served as a test for the Turkish squad as the team builds toward the upcoming World Cup.

Early Control and Defensive Pressure

The hosts established control from the opening tip-off, deploying a starting lineup featuring Derin Erdoğan, Sevgi Uzun, Sinem Ataş, Elif Bayram, and Elif İstanbulluoğlu, as reported by Anadolu Agency. Ay-yıldızlılar overwhelmed the Portuguese defense in the first quarter, racing out to a 17-6 advantage.

That momentum carried straight into the second period. Turkey maintained its defensive intensity and rebuffed every attempted run by the visitors, stretching the margin to a comfortable 32-20 lead by halftime. While Portugal found some success with quick transition breaks in the final quarter, the early deficit proved too steep to erase as Turkey closed out a 12-point win.

Scoring Progression and Quarter Breakdown

According to Anadolu Agency’s detailed quarter-by-quarter scoring breakdown, Turkey’s steady offensive execution prevented any serious threat of a comeback:

• 1st Quarter: Turkey 17–6 Portugal
• 2nd Quarter (Halftime): Turkey 32–20 Portugal
• 3rd Quarter: Turkey 48–30 Portugal
• Final Score: Turkey 63–51 Portugal

The third frame proved decisive, as the Turkish offense outpaced the visitors to expand the gap to 48-30 entering the final stretch, securing enough cushion to absorb Portugal’s late fourth-quarter surge.

World Cup Preparation Schedule and Next Fixtures

The exhibition match is part of a preparation window ahead of the World Cup, scheduled to run from September 4 through September 13 in Berlin, Germany. Following this opening fixture, Turkey and Portugal will meet again for a second private scrimmage.

The national team’s preparation calendar continues later in the month. According to verified reports, the squad will face Czechia in friendly fixtures on August 22 and August 23. The team will then relocate to Cologne, Germany, for two final tests against the German national team on August 26 and August 27, before moving on to Berlin for the tournament.