BERLIN – A historic three-point shooting display has cemented France’s place in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Women’s FIBA World Cup, after the European side posted a dominant 111-56 victory over Nigeria on Monday while shattering a tournament record set just three days prior.
The French squad drained 22 three-pointers throughout the matchup, surpassing the previous benchmark of 20 three-pointers Japan notched in its opening-round win against Mali earlier in the competition. The record-breaking shot came from Migna Toure, who sunk a corner three with 5:45 remaining in the fourth quarter to push France past the old record at 21. Following the game, Toure admitted she had no idea the team was nearing the historic mark when she stepped up to take the shot.
“I didn’t know we broke the record, to me it was just a corner 3,” Toure told reporters after the win.
Forward Gabby Williams led France’s historic shooting performance, converting six of her eight three-point attempts, while guard Marine Johannes added five threes of her own. As a team, France finished 22-for-40 from behind the three-point arc, an impressive 55% conversion rate that left opponents overwhelmed.
This red-hot form continues a strong run for France, which entered the World Cup fresh off a narrow one-point silver-medal loss to the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics this summer. Through three preliminary round matches, France has won each contest by an average margin of 43 points, signaling the team is one of the most dominant contenders in the tournament.
Johannes attributed the team’s overwhelming success to a balanced approach on both ends of the court. “I think we are just happy about the way we are playing right now,” Johannes said. “We are shooting the ball and playing good defense so we can run the floor. I think we are pretty good when we push the ball.”
Williams echoed her teammate’s comments, noting that France’s unprecedented roster depth is its biggest competitive advantage in the condensed tournament schedule. “Our depth is definitely going to be our strength. Especially in this compact a tournament,” Williams said. “It’s physical, it’s tough. You know, it’s fatiguing. So if we can be able to just put someone on the court for five minutes, they give their all and our intensity never drops. That’s going to be our goal.”
With the preliminary round wrapped up, France now has several days of rest before its quarterfinal matchup. A win in the next round would see France advance to the tournament’s medal round for the first time in 73 years. The team’s best finish in FIBA Women’s World Cup history came back in 1953, when it claimed bronze under the tournament’s old round-robin format.