The Gangurrus bounced right back, beating Kenya 22-9 in their second game on Saturday. Marena Whittle and Lauren Mansfield spearheaded the win, scoring seven points each.

In the must-win third match against Canada, the Australian women rode on a masterclass by Anneli Maley (nine points) to stun the second seeds 21-16 and topped their pool.

Australia will face Pool A runners-up Brazil in the semi-final on Sunday. The top two seeds, Germany and Canada, will face off in the other semi-finals.

Since the Australian women’s 3×3 basketball team is not eligible to participate in the final Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Hungary, the Utsunomiya meet will be the Gangurrus’ final opportunity to earn a ticket to the 2024 Paris Summer Games.