Hungary’s Women’s Basketball Team Now Targets a World Cup Quarterfinal

FIBA analysts are struggling to predict how far Hungary can go, but the team has already shown signs of recovery after its brutal 99-53 defeat by France. Its performance against Nigeria, particularly on defense, offered encouragement. One problem remains impossible to ignore: Hungary turned the ball over 26 times.

At this level, a team is almost incapable of winning with that number of turnovers. Hungary was fortunate that the opponent was Nigeria, the analysis says. At the other end of the court, however, Dorka Juhász and Virág Takács-Kiss were dominant. The two big players also controlled the rebounds, collecting 30 between them against Nigeria, a new World Cup record. The previous record belonged to Russia, set in 1998.

South Korea will bring a completely different style to Monday’s game in Berlin. Its fast offense, heavy reliance on three-point shots and aggressive footwork will be new challenges for Hungary, which has not yet faced an opponent playing that way at this tournament.

That does not make Hungary hopeless. The same fast Asian style could force South Korea into more unforced errors, including turnovers. Second place in the group is at stake, and Hungary’s record against South Korea at the Women’s Basketball World Cup offers an additional source of confidence.

The teams have met only once at the tournament. On May 27, 1998, in Münster, Germany, Hungary won 71-65. Dóra Kalmár-Nagy and current Hungary coach Dalma Iványi scored 14 points each, while Andrea Károlyi added 13. That victory sent Hungary into the last 12. The team has already achieved that goal this time, but another win over South Korea would keep its larger ambitions alive.