The German women’s basketball national team secured a historic 93-74 victory over reigning European champion Belgium at the Berlin Arena, advancing to the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup semifinals for the first time in history. Head coach Olaf Lange’s squad delivered a commanding performance on Thursday, September 10, 2026, bouncing back from an opening tournament defeat to guarantee themselves a shot at a medal on home soil.
Historic Milestone in Berlin
According to reports from Deutscher Basketball Bund, the host nation dismantled the world’s fifth-ranked team in front of 10,537 spectators in Berlin, building a 42-35 halftime lead before pulling away in the final two quarters. The victory marks the deepest run ever by a women’s basketball team from the Federal Republic. The previous best result for a DBB women’s roster came during the 1998 World Championship hosted in Germany, where the team finished eleventh.
Germany’s path to the medal rounds required an exceptional recovery after a rocky start to the tournament. Following an 83-53 defeat to Spain in their opening group fixture, the DBB squad strung together decisive victories over Japan (74-58) and Mali (83-58) to secure second place in their group. They then cruised past South Korea 94-56 in the qualification playoffs before dismantling the Belgian Cats in the quarterfinals.
Offensive Firepower and Tactical Execution
Leonie Fiebich led the German scoring effort with 17 points, overcoming early shooting struggles by sinking quick three-pointers in the opening quarter. Nyara Sabally added 16 points, anchoring the paint and securing a dominant double-double that included crucial rebounds against an elite Belgian side. Captain Marie Gülich and Alexandra Wilke also provided essential floor spacing and defensive toughness, helping the host side weather multiple scoring runs from the reigning European champions.
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Alexandra Wilke described the emotional atmosphere and the team’s historic breakthrough as unbeschreiblich (indescribable) as the final buzzer sounded.
Stiff Semifinal Test Against France
By reaching the final four, Germany has guaranteed itself two opportunities to claim a tournament medal. Should they stumble in the upcoming fixture against Olympic silver medalist France—who advanced past China with a dominant 90-61 victory—the DBB team will contest the bronze medal match on Sunday.
The semifinal showdown between Germany and France is scheduled for Saturday, with tip-off set for 16:30 local time in Berlin. Fans across Germany can follow the action via free-to-air broadcasts on ProSieben and ProSieben MAXX, live streaming on Joyn, or through subscription coverage on MagentaSport and MagentaTV.
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