Familiar face leads Hungary on historic run to FIBA World Cup quarterfinal against USA Basketball

BERLIN — Hungary's national team made history inside Berlin Arena on Tuesday evening, reaching the quarterfinals of the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup for the first time in 40 years with a 84-63 victory over Japan. Hungary's punched ticket will lead to the challenge of facing four-time defending champion United States at 5:30 a.m. Thursday with the hope of medaling for the first time in team history.

Hungary led for 39:39 by making 28 of 56 shots, including 11 of 25 from beyond the arc. Guard Reka Lelik led Hungary with 23 points and tied Virag Takacs-Kiss in rebounds with eight. Hungary held Japan to 32% shooting, including 7 for 33 from 3-point range. Hungary also improved upon its turnover ratio, committing 17 turnovers, a team low in the tournament.

"It's been 40 years since we went to the quarterfinals. I still can't believe it," Lelik said. "I'm in huge shock, but this was really a big team effort."

Now, as Hungary sets its sights on the U.S., the victory over Japan created momentum to fight for a spot on the podium.

"I think it is going to be a great game for us," Hungary forward Dorka Juhasz said. "Not many times has Hungary faced the USA in any shape or form, so I think it is going to be fun. We are going to bring our heart, our fight, and give all we have in that game."

Juhasz, a 6-foot-4 forward, should be familiar to U.S. fans through her play for the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA. In World Cup play, Juhasz has averaged 15.3 points per game and ranked third in the tournament with 11 rebounds.

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Before the matchup against Japan, Juhasz had recorded a double-double in each of her three women's World Cup appearances. She scored 10 points with seven rebounds, falling just shy of becoming the first World Cup player to post four consecutive double-doubles since records were first kept in 1994.

Juhasz will see several familiar faces when she steps out onto the hardwood on Thursday, but none more prominent than former UConn teammate Paige Bueckers . They shared time as teammates during Bueckers' sophomore season, 2021-22 season, and the 2022-23 season. Bueckers sat out of the 2022-23 season due to a knee injury; however, her connection with Juhasz is more than apparent.

"I always love to play against her; we are always joking around, but this is a different setting," Juhasz said. "We did that in the WNBA, and now we are in Europe. I'm just excited to see us representing our country and just compete against each other and have some fun."

Although Juhasz's remarks about her former teammate made it clear how competitive they both are, she also made their unbreakable bond known and the love that runs much deeper than wins and losses.

"That is my sister," Juhasz said. "I think that bond we made in UConn is never going away. Hopefully one day we are going to be teammates again as well. And every time we play against each other, we catch up, and that's family, so I think that's something that will always be there no matter where we are, and I am just excited to see her."

Hungary's best finish in tournament history was fifth place in 1957. Reaching the 16-team World Cup field was an achievement for Hungary, which lost two of its first three games in a qualifying tournament before defeating Argentina and Turkiye at Istanbul. The coaches and players watched their quarterfinal opponent escape in the 55-52 U.S. victory over Italy.

Lelik remarked on Italy's ability to control the pace and dominate on defense. As a team, they have taken a few lessons from the Italians.

"What Italy did on defense, it was amazing," Lelik said. "I think we need to continue what they did … But with defense, we need to focus for 40 minutes; we cannot lose focus for a second. And then, offensively, we need to be brave against them."

Hungary coach Peter Volgyi smiled as he had another suggestion:

"We can learn from every game, basically," Volgyi said through an interpreter, "but coach thinks that we need one very, you know, extra performance from one of our players to be able to match them."

Jenna Black is a graduate student at IU Indianapolis and part of the Sports Capital Journalism Program. Get IndyStar's Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar TV: Fever for in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes coverage and more .

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