Recap
Australia produced a remarkable display yesterday, overcoming Italy 82-80 in an all-time classic despite being without Jade Melbourne due to illness and Alanna Smith, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the tournament. To make matters even worse, Ezi Magbegor suffered an injury early in the first quarter, further reducing Australia’s already limited options.
The schedule offers them virtually no time to recover from such a demanding match, with Spain waiting just 24 hours later in the quarter-finals. Australia are heading into this game with significant concerns over player availability and head coach Sandy Brondello remains uncertain whether any of the three key players will be available for the match.
Spain have enjoyed three full days of rest and should be much better prepared physically and tactically. Following their unexpected defeat to Mali, they responded in emphatic fashion, defeating Japan by 20 points and restoring confidence ahead of the knockout stage.