With the 2018 WNBA season in the books, the eyes and ears of women’s basketball fans everywhere will be fixated for the next week and a half on Tenerife, Spain for the 2018 FIBA World Cup.
Team USA have won the last two World Cups and present a stacked team that is more than capable of making it a three-peat. With returning stars including Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi and a cast of newcomers including A’ja Wilson, gold medals will once again be within sight for the Stars and Stripes.
Six of the participants from the 2014 roster are returning for Team USA for the 2018 rendition and the team has once again been placed in Group D as was the case for the 2014 Cup in Turkey.
While the USA remains the top-ranked FIBA team, Dawn Staley’s squad will face stiff competition from the likes of Australia, Spain, France, Canada and others on their way to leaving Tenerife with gold medals draped around their necks.
Here is a look at the rest of the field….
Group A
Canada
Photo Credit — Jessica Hill/Canadian Press/AP
Three berths for the FIBA World Cup were clinched at the 2017 Women’s AmeriCup from August 6-13. One of those went to Canada who won the tournament by virtue of a 67-65 victory over Argentina.
Canada presents several marquee stars that are notable to WNBA fans, including Kia Nurse who is coming off her rookie season with the New York Liberty and Natalie Achonwa of the Indiana Fever.
France
Photo Credit — Geoff Gruda/USA Today Sports
The team that will serve as hosts of the 2024 Olympics in Paris barely missed the medal stand in Rio when they lost to Serbia in the bronze medal game by a final of 70-60.
The French, ranked in the Top 5 by FIBA, were one of several teams that made the FIBA World Cup after qualifying in the 2017 EuroBasket Women tournament. France finished as the runners-up after losing to Spain, 71-55.
Greece
Photo Credit — FIBA
At 20th in the FIBA rankings, Greece may not exactly be the most-ballyhooed of teams entering the tournament. Greece did not qualify for the last FIBA World Cup tournament in 2014, so we could be looking at a team intent on reintroducing itself.
One name to be on the watch for is Eleanna Christinaki. A former Florida Gator and Maryland Terrapin, she had games of 32 and 26 points at the collegiate level for the Terps.
South Korea
Photo Credit — FIBA
Among the four countries earned berths to the FIBA World Cup from the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup was South Korea. It was the last nation to qualify given it lost to China, 75-51 in the bronze medal game.
We will have an early chance to see what South Korea is made of in the early stages of the tournament when they face France in the opening preliminary round contest. Ji-Su Park of the Las Vegas Aces is on the South Korean team.
Group B
Argentina
Photo Credit — Gabriel Rossi/Getty Images
Las Gigantes have yet to appear in an Olympics and they have yet to medal in the Women’s World Cup. They are hoping to change that this year.
Cristian Santander’s team nearly won last year’s FIBA Women’s AmeriCup, but suffered defeat in a 67-65 decision to Canada.
Two keys to the success of Las Gigantes could be Agostina Burani and Melisa Gretter, who scored 23 points in the AmeriCup Final.
Australia
Photo Credit — Getty Images
The Opals. Enough said.
It may come as a surprise to casual basketball fans that Australia did not medal in Rio. They lost 73-71 to Serbia and were denied the opportunity to even compete for a bronze.
Australia’s roster, as WNBA fans know, reads like a who’s-who of W talent. Liz Cambage. Sami Whitcomb. Rebecca Allen. Stephanie Talbot. Cayla George. Remember, this is the same Cambage who dropped 53 in a single game this past season.
Nigeria
Photo Credit — FIBA
The year 2006 is fresh of the minds of Nigeria women’s basketball fans on the subject of the FIBA World Cup. That is the last year Nigeria qualified for the tournament.
The only other year Nigeria qualified.
Only two teams from the 2017 Women’s Afrobasket tournament qualified for the FIBA World Cup and Nigeria punched its ticket by virtue of winning its third title. Evelyn Akhator, also with the Dallas Wings, scored 13 points lifting Nigeria to the Afrobasket title.
Turkey
Photo Credit — AFP
The host country of the last FIBA World Cup in 2014, Turkey as well is only making its second FIBA World Cup appearance.
In the 2017 EuroBasket Women Tournament, Turkey went undefeated in Group B play before being eliminated in the knockout stages via an 84-55 defeat to Greece.
Group C
Belgium
Photo Credit — Michal Cizek/AFP/Getty Images
Three nations are making their maiden voyages in the FIBA World Cup. Belgium is one of those nations.
A large portion as to why Emma Meeseman sat out this past WNBA season from the Washington Mystics was to be fully prepared to represent Belgium in the World Cup.
Japan
Photo Credit — Carlos Osorio
The Japanese will serve as hosts of another major sporting event in two years involving women’s basketball (and other sports) when Tokyo hosts the Olympics in 2020.
If they will be gracious hosts that year is yet to be seen, but they traveled to India for the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup and came away victorious. At that tournament, Manami Fujioka was a key piece in Japan’s winning puzzle, dishing out over nine assists per game in helping its ball movement.
Puerto Rico
Photo Credit — FIBA
The Spanish island territory that is part of the United States is another of the three entities making its first appearance in the FIBA World Cup.
It was Puerto Rico who were victorious in the third place contest of the AmeriCup when it defeated Brazil by a final of 75-68. Allison Gonzalez scored 19 points and Yolanda Jones had six rebounds.
Spain
Photo Credit — Jason Getz/USA Today Sports
This was the team that, of course, was on the receiving end of Team USA’s 101-72 decision in the final of the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
This was also the team that also qualified by virtue of being the host nation, but as women’s basketball fans know, they probably would have earned their spot in the FIBA World Cup regardless of if it was held in Tenerife or Temecula.
From Astou Ndour to EuroBasket MVP Alba Torrens to Marta Xargay, Spain will have added motivation to dethrone the USA and win a FIBA gold medal on its home court.
Group D
China
Photo Credit — Anthony Wallace/AFP
When looking at FIBA AsiaCup statistics, it may be easy to think China had won the tournament given that they scored the most points and also led the field in rebounding and assists.
That honor of winning, of course, was claimed by Japan, but China did have an impressive showing in India when they left with a bronze medal. In that bronze medal contest with South Korea, Huang Sijing and Li Yueru each scored 16 points.
Li Yueru also added 11 rebounds.
Latvia
Photo Credit — FIBA
Latvia is the third of the three squads that will be appearing in its first FIBA World Cup.
The third-lowest ranked team (FIBA) to make the World Cup, Latvia was the last of the six teams that qualified for the tournament from the EuroBasket event. Their three wins there came against Montenegro, Serbia who won bronze at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, and Italy.
Senegal
Photo Credit — FIBA
Remember Senegal from the 2016 Olympics? Fans of said team would probably prefer to forget Senegal’s less-than-stellar showing at Rio de Janeiro.
Senegal was the team that Nigeria defeated to win the Afrobasket tournament and is ranked 17th overall by FIBA. Led by captain Astou Traore, Senegal is looking for better fortunes in Tenerife than it experienced in Brazil two years ago.
