Daily Briefing — Sept. 29, 2022: Sydney Synergy — China, Canada score spots in World Cup semi-final after decades-long drought

Canada punched their ticket after beating Puerto Rico, who had made it to the knockout stage for the first time in the team’s World Cup history. Tournament stand-out Arella Guirantes certainly made a good impression on the world stage. Then, in the most highly-contested game of the round, China defeated France to advance for the first time since 1994. Finally, tournament hosts Australia beat Belgium, who were in just their second tournament ever. Australia will play China for a rematch of the 1994 World Cup semifinal, also hosted in Sydney.

Next, read:

• Our Scott Mammoser takes you through the last 24 hours in World Cup basketball.
• Our Jenn Hatfield explores Elena Delle Donne’s approach to a finally healthy offseason.
• Our Natalie Heavren breaks down the 2022–23 Atlantic 10 schedule and highlights five must-watch games to put on your calendar.
• Our Antonio Losada answers all your EuroLeague questions ahead of the 2022-23 season.

The Next, a 24/7/365 women’s basketball newsroom

The Next: A basketball newsroom brought to you by The IX. 24/7/365 women’s basketball coverage, written, edited and photographed by our young, diverse staff and dedicated to breaking news, analysis, historical deep dives and projections about the game we love.

Watch list, Friday, Sept. 30 — WWC semifinals 

(All times in Eastern)

Canada vs USA, 3:00 a.m., ESPN2

Australia vs China, 5:20 a.m., ESPN+

World Cup recap, quarterfinals

USA beat Serbia, 88–55. The two teams traded baskets until the late second-quarter, when the USA pulled ahead by double-digits. A 20–3 USA run quickly opened up the lead, which would become as much as 36, and SRB never recovered. USA out-rebounded SRB by 17 and used pace to their advantage, scoring 24 fast break points to SRB’s eight. For Team USA, Alyssa Thomas notched a double-double with 13 points on 3-for-4 shooting (7–8 FT) and 14 rebounds (eight offensive) along with seven assists and three steals on five turnovers. Yvonne Anderson led SRB with 14 points on 5-for-13 shooting  (1–1 3pt., 3–5 FT), five rebounds, seven assists and three steals.

Canada beat Puerto Rico, 79–60. CAN took the early lead and never looked back, quickly mounting a double-digit advantage. PUR kept pace with CAN in the paint, both teams scoring 34 from down low, but struggled with turnovers and couldn’t match CAN from the perimeter. Kia Nurse led CAN with 17 points on 6-for-12 shooting (1–4 3pt.), four rebounds and two assists. Arella Guirantes led PUR with 19 points on 8-for-24 shooting (2–5 3pt.), seven rebounds (two offensive) and three assists.

China beat France, 85–71. The teams went basket-for-basket through the mid-second quarter, when CHN opened up a multiple-possession lead. FRA clawed their way back, however, coming within one point in the mid-third. It was enough to push CHN into second gear, especially top scorers Li Meng and Xu Han, who scored a combined 18 points in the final 13 minutes. Meng led CHN with 23 points on 8-for-16 shooting (4–8 3pt., 3–4 FT), two rebounds and four assists. For FRA, Gabby Williams had 17 points on 7-for-17 shooting (1–4 3pt., 1–4 FT), four rebounds (two offensive) and six assists.

Australia beat Belgium, 86–69. AUS took an early 10-point lead and never looked back, overwhelming BEL in the paint and limiting their second chance opportunities. AUS out-rebounded BEL by 25, including 11 more offensive rebounds, and scored 40 paint points to BEL’s 24. Cayla George led AUS with 19 points on 8-for-15 shooting (1–6 3pt.), nine rebounds and two assists. Julie Allemand led BEL with 15 points on 6-for-12 shooting (1–4 3pt.), two rebounds and seven assists.