The FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup is officially underway, and all you need to know about the Sydney competition, including a group-by-group analysis, is provided here. Twelve nations compete in two groups to advance to the knockout phases of the competition. Meanwhile, the championship takes place between September 22 and October 1. The podium will ultimately be decided on the final day of the competition, while the Quarter-Finals pairings will be decided by a draw made during the competition. Consider looking at the competition system.
Moreover, the winning team of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in 2022 will also receive a direct ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympics. So, each team competing in the competition must earn a significant FIBA World Ranking Presented by NIKE points. Meanwhile, incentives like this will flare up a cutthroat competition, and it will be worth watching who comes out victorious.
The History
The premier competition, which has been running since 1953, is in its 19th year. With the USA having won an incredible 10 titles, only four countries have ever celebrated a title victory. The Soviet Union comes in second with five, holding the record for the longest streak, having won all of them between 1959 and 1975. Australia won in 2006 and Brazil won in 1994, the only other winners.
Group A
Teams: USA, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, Puerto Rico, Korea.
The Favorites of the Group
The reigning champions, the USA, are currently riding a 22-game winning streak in this competition; they will be the clear favorites. Despite not having as much experience as earlier editions, their talent and depth are extremely deep. If everything goes as planned and expected, China or Belgium will probably compete for second place.
The Underdogs of the Group
Korea may struggle because they haven’t won a game since 2010 and JiSu Park, their inspirational leader, isn’t available. The same can be said of Puerto Rico, which debuted in 2018 and lost all three games. Last year, it also failed to secure a victory at the Olympic Games.
Ballers to Watch
Emma Meesseman (BEL)
Yueru Li (CHN)
Jonquel Jones (BIH)
Arella Guirantes (PUR)
Danbi Kim (KOR)
Breanna Stewart (USA)
‘X-Factor’ Players
Hind Ben Abdelkader (BEL)
Sijing Huang (CHN)
Nikolina Knezevic (BIH)
Jennifer O’Neill (PUR)
Jihyun Park (KOR)
Sabrina Ionescu (USA)
Young Guns
Maxuella Lisowa-Mbaka (BEL)
Yeeun-Heo (KOR)
Group B
Teams: France, Australia, Serbia, Japan, Mali, Canada.
The Favorites of the Group
Choose wisely because “The Group of Death” has been referred to as a place where all possibilities are essentially possible. Japan, who won the Asian championship and advanced to the Olympic Final the year before, must be considered the favorites. Australia will similarly have home support behind them, appear well stacked with options, and be challenging to beat.
The Underdogs of the Group
There appears to be a general understanding that Mali is the only underdog in this group. They’re out there to compete, they say. They did show signs of being able to do so at the Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade, but it remains to be seen if they can pull off an upset or two.
Ballers to Watch
Gabby Williams (FRA)
Yvonne Anderson (SRB)
Ramu Tokashiki (JPN)
Sika Kone (MLI)
Natalie Achonwa (CAN)
Ezi Magbegor (AUS)
‘X-Factor’ Players
Marine Johannes (FRA)
Jovana Nogic (SRB)
Monica Okoye (JPN)
Touty Gandega (MLI)
Bridget Carelton (CAN)
Lauren Jackson (AUS)
Young Guns
Iliana Rupert (FRA)
Marine Fauthoux (FRA)
Aika Hirashita (JPN)
Maimouna Haidara (MLI)
Laeticia Amihere (CAN)
Comments