2026 World Cup: Isobel Borlase's 30 Points Lift Australia Past Italy, 82-80

Australia held off a stunning Italian rally to survive 82-80 in Berlin on September 9, advancing to the Quarter-Final Round despite watching a 26-point lead nearly evaporate in the final minutes. Isobel Borlase (180-G-2004) was the difference, erupting for 30 points on an efficient 7-of-13 shooting - including 2 of 3 from three and 14 of 16 from the line - to go with 4 rebounds and 5 assists, posting a 27 index rating and a plus-9 across 31:03.
The Opals dictated the game for long stretches, opening a 0-12 run in the first quarter that turned a 7-4 deficit into a 7-16 lead behind Borlase, who scored 4 points and grabbed 2 rebounds while converting everything she attempted during the burst. Australia's advantage swelled to as many as 26 points twice in the third quarter, reaching 64-38 and then 66-40, and Borlase added scoring outbursts of 9 points in 45 seconds and 8 points in 2:22 that made the cushion look insurmountable.
Italy had other ideas. Costanza Verona (170-PG-1999) sparked a 10-0 run in the fourth quarter that erased a 77-67 deficit in just 2:43, capped when she buried a pull-up three to tie the game at 77-77 with 1:09 to play - the culmination of a stretch in which Italy scored 10 points from 4:06 to 0:08 without a single turnover while Australia managed only 6 points and coughed up one costly giveaway. But the Opals had the last word: Zitina Aokuso powered home a layup with 24 seconds left to put Australia back in front, 79-77, and the team closed it out at the line to escape 82-80.
Steph Talbot (188-F-1994) added a well-rounded 14 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists on 6-of-11 shooting, and Aokuso was perfect inside the arc, finishing with 15 points on 6-of-6 two-point shooting to go with 6 rebounds. Verona finished with 23 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists for Italy in a losing effort, and Cecilia Zandalasini (188-F-1996) chipped in during the decisive comeback run, but it was not quite enough to complete the upset.