Germany's Women Dominate Mali to Secure Knockout Stage
The soundtrack said it all.
“Durch den Monsun” by Tokio Hotel thundered around the Uber Arena, and Germany’s women danced their way onto the Berlin court like a team that finally believes it belongs on this stage. By the end of the night, the celebration felt fully earned.
Olaf Lange’s side dismantled Mali 83:58 (49:32), closed out the group phase with authority, and locked in second place in Group A behind powerhouse Spain. The equation now is clear: beat South Korea on Tuesday evening in the qualification round and the DBB team marches into the quarter-finals.
From chaos to control
The stakes were sharp before tip-off. All four teams in the group sat on three points from two games, one win and one defeat each. Germany could still have finished anywhere from first to fourth. Once Spain brushed aside Japan 79:59 in the earlier game, top spot vanished, but the hosts knew the immediate mission: win, and secure the best possible route into the knockout rounds.
They responded with intent.
“We have to be the aggressor from the start,” warned Frieda Bühner, the standout in the win over Japan. The team listened. With world champion captain Dennis Schröder courtside as a high-profile supporter, Germany came out snarling on defence and crisp in execution.
Leonie Fiebich buried an early three, the press bothered Mali’s ball-handlers, and the hosts surged 15:7 ahead by the sixth minute. The crowd of 12,550 roared with every stop, every loose ball, every hint that the heavy opening loss to Spain (53:83) belonged firmly in the past.
Then came a wobble. Sloppy possessions crept in, turnovers piled up. Alexis Peterson, back in the lineup after illness had kept her out of the second half against Japan, twice gave the ball away in quick succession. For a brief stretch, the game threatened to open up again.
It didn’t. Germany slammed the door.
Bühner ignites, Geiselsöder arrives
The turning point came from two players at opposite ends of their tournament story.
Luisa Geiselsöder, quiet so far in this competition, finally imposed herself. Inside, she finished everything. Outside, she stretched the floor. In the first half, she didn’t miss. Her confidence rippled through the team.
Alongside her, Bühner picked up exactly where she had left off against Japan. Confident, fearless, and in rhythm, she punished every defensive lapse from Mali. Her second consecutive three-pointer pushed Germany to a 40:29 lead in the 16th minute, their first double-digit cushion. From that moment, the game shifted from contest to showcase.
The perimeter opened up. Alexandra Wilke knocked one down from deep. Marie Gülich followed. Mali’s defence sagged, rotated late, and paid for every hesitation. Bühner kept piling on, finishing as Germany’s top scorer with 21 points, the cutting edge of an attack that suddenly looked fluid and ruthless.
“You want to get better in every game, and they are doing that,” Schröder said at half-time on MagentaTV, saluting the “awesome atmosphere” generated by the home crowd. On the court, the players made sure his praise didn’t age badly.
No repeat of Spain scare
This was only Germany’s second meeting with Mali, the first coming back in 2007 in Saarlouis. Mali arrived in Berlin with a statement win already in their pocket after stunning Spain 82:73 on the second matchday. That upset served as a warning: take your eye off them, and they can run you out of the gym.
Lange’s team never allowed it.
After the break, Germany stayed sharp, their defence staying connected, their rotations disciplined. Mali’s attempts to claw back momentum met a wall of German energy. When Geiselsöder stepped out and drilled a three in the 25th minute for 56:37, the arena felt the air go out of the contest. The game, for all practical purposes, was done.
“It felt great. It was really good basketball,” said the WNBA player, a simple verdict on a night when she finally showed her full range.
From there, Germany managed the game with maturity. No panic, no wild swings, just steady control. The kind of performance that builds belief heading into knockout basketball.
South Korea next – and then?
The path ahead is sharply defined now. South Korea, third in Group B, stand between Germany and a quarter-final date with Belgium. That’s the same Belgium that swept Group C without a loss and wear the crown of European champions in both 2023 and 2025.
Lange has already turned the page. “Now we have to reorganise again. South Korea are a good team,” he said, refusing to let the glow of the Mali win linger for too long.
Germany opened this tournament with a heavy defeat and questions about their ceiling. They close the group stage with back-to-back wins, a surging home crowd, their star forward in full scoring flow, and a centre finally playing like a force.
The music in Berlin is getting louder. The only question now is how long this run will keep the party going.
