Caitlin Clark and Team Shine With Clutch Plays and Elite Defense
Heading into the group fixtures of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 in Berlin, Japan guard Saki Hayashi delivered a historic shooting performance, netting nine three-pointers to break the all-time individual and team records for long-range scoring in the global tournament.
Saki Hayashi Shatters Individual Three-Point Record Against Mali
The landmark performance unfolded during a high-scoring 102-97 victory over Mali in the German capital. Saki Hayashi, known to her teammates as ‘Kiki’, converted 9 of 15 attempts from beyond the arc to finish with 27 points, earning TCL Player of the Game honors. According to FIBA records, her nine triples surpassed the previous individual tournament high of eight three-pointers, which had been shared by Korea’s Beon Yeon-Ha against France in 2002 and Cuba’s Gricel Herrera Mendez against Slovakia in 1998.
“I made nine but I air-balled my first two, so it’s something I have to go back and work on,” Hayashi said after the game, as quoted by FIBA. “Obviously I am happy but it is just my job to shoot. It’s what we have to do to win. In the locker room it is a given that I am going to shoot threes.”
Japan Establishes New Team Benchmark for Long-Range Scoring
Japan sank a staggering 20 shots from behind the arc over the course of the contest, eclipsing their own shared team record of 18 triples set against Kenya back in 1994, alongside Australia’s matching total against Mali in 2022.
According to FIBA, the playcaller noted his extensive coaching background in the WNBA, NBA, and FIBA competitions before praising his starting guard. “I have seen ‘Kiki’ for many years and I have seen her shoot,” Gaines stated. “She is one of the top shooters I have seen. I would love to see her go against DT [Diana Taurasi] Now that really would be a good match.”
Global Competitors Prepare for the Berlin Group Stage
Beyond Japan’s perimeter showcase, rosters feature established international talents including Mali’s forward Sika Kone, who recorded a tournament double-double in Sydney at age 20 and is now more well equipped to continue doing the business in the paint for her country, and naturalized guard Kayla Burke, whose scoring touch gives Türkiye stability in their first global tournament appearance in eight years, per FIBA’s player watch lists.
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