France Sets Record with 22 Threes in World Cup Victory Over Nigeria
The arc belonged to France.
In a group-stage finale that turned into a long‑range masterclass, the French national team shredded Nigeria 111-56 and rewrote the Women's FIBA World Cup record book with a staggering 22 three-pointers. The previous mark had survived just three days.
Japan had briefly held the benchmark in this tournament with 20 threes against Mali. France didn’t just edge past it. They tore it up.
Game over by halftime
From the opening tip, the pattern was brutal and unrelenting. France let it fly from deep and never stopped. By halftime, the scoreboard already looked like the final line of a blowout: 65 points on the board, 14 makes from beyond the arc, and any hint of suspense long gone.
They finished 22-of-40 from three-point range, a searing 55% clip. Every defensive mistake by Nigeria, every late closeout, turned into another clean look and another dagger.
The numbers tell the story, but they don’t quite capture the feeling: each possession became an audition for the highlight reel.
Williams leads the onslaught
Two names drove the early avalanche.
Gabby Williams put on a scoring clinic, pouring in 25 points and setting the tone with her aggression and accuracy. Marine Johannes, all rhythm and confidence, buried five three-pointers and stretched Nigeria’s defense to breaking point.
The Golden State Valkyries guard-forward was lethal as well, going six-of-eight from deep and joining the perimeter party in style. By the time France were done, five players had reached double figures and the team had handed out 29 assists, a snapshot of a side moving the ball with purpose and precision rather than simply hunting shots.
Williams and Johannes combined for eight threes in the first half alone. Every time Nigeria tried to steady themselves, another French shooter rose up and ripped the net.
Chasing history without knowing it
The pressure finally told in the record books late in the game.
With 5:45 remaining, Migna Touré drilled the 21st three-pointer, nudging France past Japan’s fresh standard. Not long after, Dominique Malonga added the 22nd, the final exclamation mark on a night that will sit in World Cup lore.
Only later did the twist emerge: Touré admitted she had no idea the team was closing in on history. There was no stat-chasing huddle, no orchestrated push to break the mark. France simply kept playing the same way they had from the start—shooting when open, punishing every gap, trusting the hot hand.
The record fell almost as a byproduct of their relentlessness.
France walk out of the group stage not just with a win, but with a warning sent to the rest of the tournament: if they get rolling from deep, how exactly do you stop them?
