Belgium's win over Australia in Berlin on Monday did two things at once: it sent the European champions straight through to the World Cup quarter-finals, and it moved Julie Allemand to the top of a list that has stood for a decade and a half.
The 80-68 result closed out Group C in Belgium's favour. Allemand, who runs the offence for a side that has built its identity on moving the ball rather than isolating a scorer, passed Spain's Laia Palau to become the all-time assists leader at the Women's Basketball World Cup. She arrived in Berlin on 87 career assists and has added 24 across three games, taking her past Palau's 108 to 111 — and past Dawn Staley and Sue Bird on the way.
"I'm just so proud because for Belgium, this is how we play. We are so unselfish," Allemand said.
The record fits the team it came from. Belgium have spent this cycle turning collective passing into a genuine competitive edge, and the quarter-final berth means they skip the qualification round on 8-9 September that awaits the second- and third-placed sides. Australia, beaten here, take the longer route.
Quarter-finals are played on 10 September, with the final on 13 September at the Berlin Arena. The champion takes a direct place at the LA28 Olympic tournament.
Source
Original summary by Proventier.