Sapphires duo break steals record in World Cup opener

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Sapphires stars Olivia Olechnowicz and Isabel Smith rewrote the FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup record books as Australia opened its 2026 campaign with a 76-65 win against Latvia in Brno.

The Australians each swiped seven steals, equalling the tournament’s single-game record and becoming the first teammates in competition history to achieve the feat in the same game. Their defensive pressure drove Australia’s extraordinary 24-steal total.

Madi Ryan filled the box score with 14 points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals and four blocks as Australia controlled most of the Group A contest at Starez Arena Vodova Hall 2.

The Sapphires face the United States at 4:15AM on Monday, July 13, 2026

Australia led 19-17 after the opening quarter, 40-35 at halftime and 59-48 at three-quarter time before holding off a late Latvian push.

The Australians trailed for only 58 seconds and led for 38 minutes and 17 seconds, building a game-high 19-point advantage during the fourth quarter.

Ryan finished 6-from-10 from the field and 2-of-2 at the free throw line, posting a game-high efficiency rating of 22 and a +18 in 27 minutes.

She was one of four Australians to score in double figures.

Sophie Richardson gave head coach Tom Garlepp an immediate scoring lift off the bench, finishing with 14 points in just 16 minutes.

Richardson shot five-from-eight from the field, four-from-five inside the arc and three-of-three at the line while committing no turnovers.

Her most important contribution came across the third-quarter break when she sparked Australia’s decisive surge.

Australia led 59-48 entering the final quarter before opening the period with an 8-0 run to push the margin to 19.

Richardson scored six points during the burst as Australia moved ahead 67-48 with 8:30 remaining.

Latvia later responded with an 8-0 run of its own to cut the margin to 72-61, but Australia had already created enough separation to close out the win.

Olivia Olechnowicz was relentless defensively, recording seven steals to go with 13 points, five rebounds and two assists.

Olechnowicz shot two-from-four from three-point range and three-of-four at the line, helping Australia convert Latvian mistakes into transition opportunities.

Isabel Smith also collected seven steals, giving Australia two players who equalled the national record for steals in a FIBA U17 Women’s World Cup game.

Australia finished with 24 steals and nine blocks while forcing Latvia into repeated turnovers throughout the contest.

The defensive pressure helped offset an inconsistent shooting performance.

Australia shot 28-from-76 from the field at 36.8 per cent, including six-from-20 from three-point range.

The Australians were far more effective inside the arc, making 22-from-56 attempts, while Latvia shot just 27.3 per cent on two-point field goals.

Matilda Trout was another major contributor, finishing just short of a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds.

Trout also added four assists and recorded a game-high plus-20 in almost 25 minutes.

Jade Sherrington scored 12 points on five-from-seven shooting and made two three-pointers, while Jemyma Manyok pulled down eight rebounds, including six on the offensive glass.

Australia grabbed 20 offensive rebounds as part of a 43-rebound performance.

The Australians took control early in the second quarter after Latvia briefly moved ahead 20-19.

Ryan made two free throws to restore Australia’s lead before Sherrington knocked down a transition three following a Latvian turnover.

Australia remained in front from that point.

Sarlote Skrebele led Latvia with 18 points, but the Australians restricted Latvia to 33 per cent shooting overall.

Australia will now prepare for the next stage of its Group A campaign after making a winning start in Brno.