Vintage Machida: 12 assists and one shy of history

Machida had been struggling before Japan’s Qualification for the Quarter-Finals game against Hungary. Across three games, she had failed to score a single point and had accumulated an efficiency rating of just 2.

The question was legitimate: was the magic that had defined her game beginning to fade?

Japan lost, but Machida delivered a vintage performance - one reminiscent of her best years, when she helped Japan claim the silver medal on home soil at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Three points, 12 assists, four rebounds and two steals for an efficiency rating of 18 in 27 minutes.

The magic, it seems, is still there.

Most assists in a single game in Women's World Cup**

* Active Player in Women's World Cup 2026 ** Since 1994 and updated as of September 6, 2026

However, true to form as a floor general and facilitator, Machida was quick to deflect her individual accomplishment to look at the bigger picture.

"Honestly, I don't really care about my 12 assists," she said. "The result is that we lost and that there were some things we can take forward.

"And we have to accept that loss. We accept that we weren't enough, we weren't worthy of winning this game."

"I think in a loss like this, it really highlights what we need to work on - looking forward to the next competition."

That competition might be the next Women's World Cup, which Japan will host in 2030. There's still a long way to go, but as Machida says - their performance puts a light on how they can improve and what they can work on leading up to the next edition.

"We have to create 40 minutes of Japan basketball where we're pushing the pace; where everyone' is a threat to score; where we're all moving the ball and that's what it comes down to."

FIBA