Unlocking a new era of storytelling in women’s sport

How Stats Perform and Opta helped FIBA turn extraordinary performances into compelling stories, bringing fans closer to the athletes and moments that made history at a record-breaking Women's Basketball World Cup.

Louise Beltrame-Bawden

~ 4 min read

A record-breaking World Cup.
A new era of storytelling.

The FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 set new benchmarks for women's basketball, with 236,015 spectators and record-breaking digital engagement.

But beyond the numbers, the tournament revealed something even more powerful: fans wanted more than the final score.

Editorial page views on FIBA's website reached 1.85 million, almost six times the 2022 figure, while star-led content generated 36% of engagement across the tournament's top 100 social posts.

Fans wanted to connect with the athletes, understand their achievements and discover the stories behind the performances.

And that's where trusted data and great storytelling come together.

The numbers tell a remarkable story

3.3 billion

Social impressions, up 175% compared with 2022

20 million

Website page views, seven times the 2022 total

1.4 billion

Video views, an increase of 195%

60 million

Social engagements, nearly four times the previous edition

The foundation of great storytelling

Behind every record-breaking performance and historic milestone is a story waiting to be told.

Throughout the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026, Stats Perform worked with FIBA to bring those stories to life, combining live Opta data, decades of historical coverage and the expertise of its Data Insights team.

This gave FIBA a trusted foundation for storytelling across the tournament, helping its content teams, broadcasters and media partners identify the moments that mattered and explain their significance. From live statistics and pre-game insights to historical records and milestones identified in real time, Opta provided the context that transformed individual performances into compelling narratives.

Because knowing what happened is only part of the story, understanding why it matters is what makes it memorable

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Recognising history as it happened

The biggest moments in sport happen in an instant. Recognising their historical significance can make those moments even more powerful.

When Mali's Sika Koné recorded 19 points and 10 rebounds against Spain, it was already an impressive individual performance.

But Opta's historical data revealed something extraordinary.

Koné had become the first player on record to register a double-double in five consecutive FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup games.

That insight transformed a standout performance into a piece of World Cup history.

The achievement was celebrated through FIBA's content and reached international media, with outlets including Bleacher Report and AS referencing the Opta record.

It was a powerful example of how historical depth, combined with real-time insight, can give an athlete's achievement greater meaning and help their story reach new audiences.

The athletes created the moments.
The data revealed their significance.

Koné's achievement was one of many extraordinary performances that Opta's Data Insights team helped place into historical context. Each insight gave FIBA another opportunity to celebrate an athlete, uncover a story and create content that went beyond traditional match reporting.

And importantly, these stories weren't limited to the competition's most established stars. Historical data helped shine a light on emerging talent, individual achievements and performances that might otherwise have received less attention.

Take a look at some of the incrediable insights our Data Insights team uncovered.

BREANNA STEWART

3.9 assists per turnover – the best ratio of any player with 20 or more Women's Basketball World Cup appearances.

TRINITY SAN ANTONIO

The first player on Opta record to register 20+ points, 5+ rebounds, 5+ assists and 5+ steals in a Women's Basketball World Cup game.

IYANA MARTÍN

The youngest player on record to score more than 16 points in a Women's Basketball World Cup semi-final.

From the court to the commentary box

Great sports storytelling doesn't stop at identifying the moment. It gives everyone covering the game the context to explain why it matters.

Across the World Cup, Opta insights supported broadcasters with another layer of storytelling, connecting what was happening on court with the history of the competition.

A standout performance could be placed alongside the greatest in tournament history. A record could be recognised as it was being broken. A commentator could explain not just what an athlete had achieved, but how exceptional that achievement really was.

For broadcasters, journalists and content teams, this creates more opportunities to add value to their coverage.

For fans, it makes the moment bigger.

The game provides the drama. Data provides the context.

More than data. A partnership built around storytelling

For rights holders like FIBA, trusted data is just the beginning. The real value comes from turning performances, records and milestones into stories that connect with fans.

Throughout the Women's Basketball World Cup, Stats Perform worked closely with FIBA, combining live Opta data, decades of historical coverage and the expertise of our Data Insights team to support storytelling across broadcast, digital, editorial and social channels.

From pre-game insights and live match statistics, to identifying records as they happened, our teams provided a seamless flow of trusted information, helping FIBA and its media partners bring the action to life.

One trusted partner. More stories. More opportunities to engage fans.