Jasmine Keys Ties Career High as Italy Beats China 88-76, but Laura Spreafico's World Cup Ends in Heartbreak

Italy's women's national team delivered its most complete performance yet in its final tune-up before the FIBA Women's World Cup, beating China 88-76 at BTS Arena on Friday in the third of four exhibition games ahead of the tournament in Berlin, running September 4-13. But the night carried a bittersweet edge: captain Laura Spreafico (183-F/G-1991) will leave the training camp Saturday after suffering a right thigh muscle injury a few days ago, ending her international career before she gets to play in the World Cup she'd already announced would be her last tournament.
Head coach Andrea Capobianco started Costanza Verona (170-PG-1999), Matilde Villa, Vittoria Blasigh (175-G-2004), Jasmine Keys (192-PF-1997) and Lorela Cubaj, and Cubaj opened the game with Italy's first six points before China answered. Italy's first real cushion came at 18-13 behind contributions from Ilaria Panzera (180-SG-2002), Francesca Pasa (175-PG-2000) and Olbis Andre working against China's 7-foot-5 center, M. Zhang. The second quarter turned decisive a 17-4 Italian run over four minutes forced a timeout from Chinese head coach Luming with Italy up 35-20, and back-to-back Keys three-pointers pushed the lead to 18 points at 48-30. Andre's midrange jumper sent the teams into the break with Italy in firm control, 51-37.
China leaned on Zhang to start the second half, and her interior scoring proved a genuine problem for Italy, though her fourth foul in the 23rd minute became a concern for her own bench. Keys kept rolling, tying her Italy career high with a basket that made it 58-47, and China found some late confidence as Luo and Yang hit threes to cut the gap to eight points, 60-52. The margin held until Verona's buzzer-beating three at the end of the third quarter sent the teams into the final long break at 69-58. Sara Madera scored five straight points and Andre added four of her own in the fourth quarter to keep China at arm's length, and with Italy up 10 points inside the final two minutes, the outcome was no longer in doubt.
Keys finished with 19 points on 4-of-6 two-point shooting and 3-of-4 from three, matching her Italy career high set in a June 2023 friendly against Germany, and was named the game's MVP, presented on court by Trento's deputy mayor, Elisabetta Bozzarelli. Andre added 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting, Verona scored 12, and Villa contributed 10. Italy also collected the Trentino Basket Cup women's title, presented by provincial council president Claudio Soini. For China, Ziyu Zhang (223-C-2007) and Luo Xinyu (187-F-2001) each scored 14, Mingling Chen (192-F/C-2000) added 14 of her own, and Wang Jiaqi (173-PG-1999) contributed 11 points and a game-high seven assists, but 27 team rebounds against Italy's 40 and a rough shooting night from three (7-of-17) proved costly.
Federation president Giovanni Petrucci said he felt deep sadness learning that Spreafico won't get to experience the World Cup as the deserved culmination of her career, but said she'll still travel with the team to Berlin, since a captain of her stature belongs at such a moment regardless. He added that her experience, professionalism and integrity remain valuable assets the national team and federation will continue to draw on. Spreafico finishes her Italy career with 64 caps and 304 points, capped by a bronze medal at last year's EuroBasket. Capobianco called it a fantastic night, praising the crowd's energy and the team's fight for every loose ball, and singled out the team's rebounding effort as a genuinely collective one the post players boxing out and the guards crashing the glass for key possessions. He acknowledged Spreafico's injury was an emotional blow but said the team's performance against a former World Cup runner-up showed real solidity.
Italy and China play a closed-doors scrimmage Saturday at 3:30 PM at the same venue a rematch of a group they'll also share at the World Cup. The camp then disbands before regrouping August 25 in Rome, followed by two exhibition games against France in Paris on August 27-28, with the squad departing for Berlin on September 1.