The tournament began on October 8 and continues through November 12, 2022. Your suplied Email address ([email protected]) does not seem to be correct, the key question posed in a recent feature, FIBA Expert Panel recently tipped them for the podium, one of the young guns to watch at the tournament. See below for a brief overview of the tournament format, a schedule of upcoming matches, and info on how to watch every Rugby World Cup game. Who handles the ball in clutch moments is still a pertinent question. [10] [11] The last time they were there in 2008, they finished eighth. The U.S. Soccer-commissioned Yates report, released on October 3, included damning evidence about how Portlands front office failed to take action after former coach Paul Rileywas accused of harassment and sexual coercion. Here is the complete TV and streaming schedule for all upcoming matches. 5 in ranking; Korea, Nigeria and Bosnia and Herzegovina also move up MIES (Switzerland) - The latest FIBA World Ranking Women, presented by Nike, has several teams rewarded after solid results at the recent FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournaments. Having not qualified for the 2018 FIBA Women's World Cup, Serbia is coming off winning the 2021 EuroBasket earlier in June. This is Puerto Ricos first time in the Olympics, and the group is hoping to make history during their first trip. South Korea is headed to the Olympics for the first time in 12 years. Women starred at 2022 Winter Olympics, but men photographed most of the action. Unfortunately, South Korea is a victim of limited star power. Site Last Updated: Tuesday, November 1, 4:38AM MORE: Previewing Men's Basketball at Tokyo Olympics. Hyejin Park, Ji Su Park, Danbi Kim are all very capable performers, along with and Jihyun Park who was selected as one of the young guns to watch at the tournament. How can France not make the Semi-Finals? Three of the top 10 ranked teams are slotted together in Group A. Dating back to the tournament's inception in 2010, the Americans were 37-0 and won five-straight gold medals, so expectations were high for the 2022 squad.. The 2016 team is as follows: Seimone Augustus. Last night, Team Canada battled Team Australia for the bronze medal at the 2022 Women's Basketball World Cup in Sydney, Australia. Even with the withdrawal of Liz Cambage from the squad, there are still plenty of players on the squad that are currently playing in the WNBA-Allen (New York Liberty),Magbegor (Seattle Storm), Mitchell (Washington Mystics), Smith (Phoenix Mercury), and Talbot (Seattle Storm). Jacqueline Benitez, Allison Gibson, Michelle Gonzalez, Jazmon Gwathmey, Isalys Quinones, Sabrina Lozada, Tayra Melendez, Jennifer ONeill, India Pagan, Pamela Rosado, Dayshalee Salaman, Jada Stinson. Or Simone Biles. 2004 U.S. Softball Team Taurasi, 39, teased about how much she likes Paris but certainly. The United States women have. They have won 3 Olympic medals including 2 gold medals and have participated in 12 Olympic Games The team is coached by Jonas Kazlauskas and includes players such as Domantas Sabonis and Mindaugas Kuzminskas. The team was stacked with talent, including future Hall of Famers Sheryl Swoopes Lisa Leslie, and Rebecca Lobo. It's a cut and paste from the first rankings assessment really isn't it? 15 in the world, is slotted in Group B alongside nations that are ranked in the top 10 of the FIBA Women's rankings. Sylvia Fowles returns for a fourth Olympic team, only the seventh U.S. basketball player to do so, while Tina Charles will play on her third. *The power rankings are entirely subjective and are in no way a true, accurate ranking system. That has worked for Belgium many times of course. Qualifiers Record: Host nationFIBA World Ranking presented by Nike:10thPerhaps Japan has justifiable cause to have expected a slight upwards movement for having shown their teeth against Belgium in that preparation victory. The United States begins its women's basketball run at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and the Americans will face Nigeria. Malaga, Spain July 2 - 10, 2022 The U.S. entered the 2022 FIBA U17 Men's World Cup in Malaga, Spain, with much to lose. Jones joins 11. 4, Canada is another one of the regulars at the Olympics having only missed fiveeditions (1980, 1988, 1992, 2004, 2008) with their best finish coming in 1984 - 4th. Watching Belgium play is usually a joy and nobody would be shocked if they went all the way to the medals. Kansas City in its second season as an NWSL franchise had a historic run just to reach Saturday nights final. Since women's basketball entered the Olympics in 1976 the smallest . This guide will continue to be updated with results and scores throughout the tournament. In sled hockey, coed in name only, women are building their own Paralympic Fowles, 35, has also won two WNBA titles (2015, 2017), both with the Minnesota Lynx. Wide as it was, the 15-point margin of victory here was below the average of 23.4 during Team USA's golden 25-year stretch. Wilson and Tokyo Olympic MVP Breanna Stewart were the leaders. Sue Bird leads an incredibly talented team that includes 2020 WNBA MVP Aja Wilson and WNBA finals MVP Breanna Stewart. Jewell Loyd was a member of the U.S. team that won World Cup gold in 2018, but the Tokyo Games will mark her Olympic debut. It underlines how difficult it is to predict how they will perform, but they can certainly use revenge as a driving force when they face Serbia as they look to make up for that agonizing Quarter-Finals defeat in Valencia last month. The Opals, ranked No. Skylar Diggins-Smith will be making her Olympic debut at age 30. Ariel Atkins, Sue Bird, Tina Charles, Napheesa Collier, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Sylvia Fowles, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Jewell Loyd, Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, A'ja Wilson. Qualifiers Record:2-1 (2nd in Group A, Ostend)FIBA World Ranking presented by Nike: 6th. Below, find an in-depth look at the history, form, roster, groups and schedule of every one of the 12 participating teams. Their best finishes came in Barcelona during the 1992 Olympics whether they finished with a Silver, improving on their Bronze from the 1984 Olympics. Despite their lack of offense, the team went 5-2 during the FIBA Americup, reaching the Finals against the USA. USA's players celebrate their victory at the end of the . Guard Kelsey Plum, a Tokyo Olympic 33 player, blossomed this past WNBA season and was third in the league's MVP voting. More natural combo guards Chelsea Gray and Skylar. That was the first of five straight gold medals for the Americans. Losing Liz Cambage before the tournament was a huge loss to the team, and they may struggle to get past the USA without her. But maybe to get onto that Olympic podium, they will need to show they can cope with Plan B on the rare ocassion their brilliant marquee star is having a quieter game. All eight games the. Despite an encouraging display at the FIBA Women's AmeriCup, they suffered big losses in their preparation games - albeit against quality opposition in the shape of medal contenders USA and France. Trying to assess them in the rankings for the FIBA Women's EuroBasket was tough. They participated in the 2020 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament atBelgrade (Group A) but had already qualified as the champions of the 2018 FIBA World Cup. But things are still not quite how everyone had envisaged personnel-wise, which means it's hard to push them up higher. Paul uses an extensive network of players, coaches, clubs and Federations to shape his work and opinions. There are also former WNBA players on the roster inAlexander (4 WNBA franchises in eight years since 2013), Ayim (Tulsa Shock in 2011)andNayo Raincock-Ekunwe (New York Liberty - 2017, 2019). We're Social.for Statheads. However, Their inexperience playing on that big stage and their lack of offensive firepower put them at a disadvantage entering the tournament. They have a couple of very talented NCAA players, in India Pagan and Isalys Quinones. 2001-02 Topps Heritage Basketball Team Set New Jersey Nets as shown: Nike Team Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball DRI-FIT Jersey Women's M 932241: New Jersey Nets Retro NBA Basketball Team Logo Knit Winter Hat Beanie Toque: NWT Nike Team NCAA LSU Tigers Basketball Screen Print Jersey Mens Large Sample: New Nike Authentic Kobe Bryant Team USA . Puerto Rico has very little experience, having only played at one Olympic games and one world cup before. They won the silver medal in 1984 and made it to the bronze medal game in 2000. Fans in the United States can stream every game live on Peacock, NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app. Despite some injuries, Canada will be aiming for medals at this games. But it's no knee-jerk reaction to a big win over Puerto Rico which didn't really prove anything other than what all of us already knew. "You have to understand, like Tara's days off weren't your normal day off. After the three Olympic golds and a decade of dominance, Torres would go on to be named "Best Female Player of the 20th Century" in 2001, capping off a historic run with the greatest Olympic volleyball team of all-time. The USA pulled off a 111-87 victory to reclaim the gold medal. For an optimal experience please rotate your device to portrait mode, Swipe for Olympic Basketball Fan Rankings and follow. WNBA star Emma Meeseman has taken the team from unranked into their first Olympic games. Japan, which was the only one of the 11 other teams to ever have beaten the U.S. in an Olympics, won a medal for the first time in the country's history. Team WNBA outlasted the Olympic team with better defense and sharper shooting. Diggins-Smith, a four-time WNBA all-star, took the 2019 season off after giving birth to her son. Korea look marginally more likely to be able to win a game at this tournament than their fellow underdogs. Based in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Olympic Capital, it is entirely privately funded and distributes 90 per cent of its revenues to the wider sporting movement, for the development of sport . Kansas City created a handful of opportunities midway through the second half, but wasnt able to convert. Friday night, October 7 into Saturday morning, October 8: Saturday night, October 8 into Sunday morning, October 9: Friday night, October 14 into Saturday morning, October 15: Saturday, October 15 into Sunday morning, October 16: Friday night, October 21 into Saturday morning, October 22: Saturday night, October 22 into Sunday morning, October 23: Friday night, October 28 into Saturday morning, October 29: Saturday night, October 29 into Sunday morning, October 30: The 12-team tournament begins with round-robin pool play. Canada has never really been able to use their talent in the Olympics, with their highest finish being fourth back in 1984.Kia Nurse leads the team, and they will be hoping to improve with a talented roster that includes four current WNBA players and two young NCAA players. Qualifiers Record:2-1 (2nd in Group A, Bourges)FIBA World Ranking presented by Nike: 2nd, The one you have all been waiting for. By Fan Rankings | August 04, 2021 - 02:18 PM, (Don't forget to rank your Top Olympic teams at the end of this article for a chance to win a $50 gift card or the equivalence of this amount of your country). Nigeria comes into the tournament in excellent form, having won Afrobasket in 2017 and 2019 and getting to the quarter finals in the world cup in 2018. The USA Olympic men's basketball team has won the gold medal a record 16 times, which includes an unbeaten streak from 1936 to 1968. DraftKings British Open PGA DFS picks: Best fantasy golf lineup for The Open. All comments are purely those of the author. In the men's, Team USA has won 15 of a possible 19 gold medals and will be gunning to bag their fourth consecutive gold in Tokyo. How would you rank these Olympic teams? // ]]>. France Griner led all scorers with 30 points ( an Olympic record in. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. That team dominated, led by Lisa. For most nations, this would have to result in a downwards movement in the Power Rankings. Gray, a three-time WNBA all-star, won a WNBA title in 2016 as a member of the Los Angeles Sparks. The Japanese women's basketball teams are quite the force globally, especially in Asia. This is just Serbia's second appearance at the Olympics, coming off a bronze medal finish in the 2016 Rio Olympics. They may be 8th in these rankings but they have every opportunity to still make a podium push, with one of the FIBA Expert Panel members tipping them to still medal - even without Ramu Tokashiki. The U.S. women's basketball team for the Tokyo Olympics was revealed on Monday morning on the TODAY show. The time should and can be now. Tokyo U.S. Women's Basketball Team unveiled. China is slotted in Group C alongside Puerto Rico and other top-ranked teams in Australia andBelgium. Basketball, as a medal sport, has been part of the Olympics since 1936 but the women's category only debuted in 1976. They have won five medals at the Olympics - three Silver (2000, 2004, 2008) and two Bronze (1996, 2012). France, ranked 5th in the world are slotted alongside the hostJapan, Nigeria (the only nation from Africa) and top-rankedTeam USA. Representing the United States, Harris was part of the inaugural women's national team that competed for gold in the Montreal Olympics. History also shows that when it comes to the Olympics, the USA don't just win games and golds, they win big! Team Finders: Season Finder, Game Finder, Team Streak Finder , Team . Since Rio, Taurasi has become a mom. But, with a class team like the USA, it arguably makes them even more dangerous and motivated to put things right in the Japanese capital. They just have to make sure they are switched on mentally from the get-go. The Soviet Union, Yugoslavia and the Unified Team are the countries no longer in existence who have won the tournament. Not every game is that fun, said Sophia Smith, who got things going in the fourth minute. Despite these blips during prep, they're still the team to beat by some distance. The roster is headlined by Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, who were named to their fifth U.S. Olympic team. The Tokyo Olympics will be Spain's fifth appearance, coming off its best result of Silver in the 2016 Rio Olympics. The Aussies come into the tournament having missed out on a medal five years ago, breaking a streak of five Olympics where the team took home a medal. Leading into the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which was postponed to2021 (Jul. Everything is coming up roses pic.twitter.com/bM1B6dBLxj, Portland Thorns FC (@ThornsFC) October 30, 2022. What happened during preparation in Las Vegas did little to justify a move upwards, since Nigeria didn't do anything on the court to suggest they can navigate their way out of a very tough group. Without Liz Cambage, will the Opals miss out on the podium, or will coach Sandy Brondello still get her team to deliver a medal? Olympics explained: What is the decathlon? Power ranking the 2021 Olympics womens basketball teams where Team USA looks to capture another gold medal, but who could challenge them? Tara VanDerveer is a legendary women's basketball coach at Stanford. Where to put the Opals after the departure of marquee star Liz Cambage: is your glass half empty or half full? The push upwards towards the top four is simple really. Ariel Atkins, a 2019 WNBA champion with the Washington Mystics, will be making her Olympic debut in Tokyo. Namely, Emma Meesseman scores a bucket load of points, with someone playing a cameo. The 2020 Olympics will be the French women's team's fourth appearance with their best performance coming in London in 2012 when they bagged the Silver Medal. Team USA also. The Women's Olympic Basketball Power Rankings are put together by our panel, led by FIBA's women's basketball specialist Paul Nilsen. Coming off a sixth-place finish in the 2018 FIBA World Cup, they qualified for these 2020 Tokyo Olympics by finishing at the top of the 2020 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament at Belgrade (Group B). 41 year old Laia Palau brings a huge amount of experience into the tournament, and center Astou Ndour is a player to watch in the tournament. The 12th and final roster spot for the four-time defending Olympic champions has been set with the announcement of Asjha Jones nabbing the last spot on the United States' squad. You got that sense that as they tore past Puerto Rico after those losses to get back on a winning note. At age 40, Bird could also become the oldest basketball player to ever win an Olympic medal. 4/15 4. Plus, it's owed it to their fans for not winning in Valencia. The truth? Julie Allemand, Marjorie Carpreaux, Antonia Delaere, Kyara Linskens, Billie Massey, Emma Meesseman, Hanne Mestdagh, Kim Mestdagh, Heleen Nauwelaers, Jana Raman, Julie Vanloo, Ann Wauters. Alexia Chartereau, Helena Ciak, Alix Duchet, Marine Fauthoux, Sandrine Gruda, Marine Johannes, Sarah Michel, Endy Miyem, Iliana Rupert, Diandra Tchatchouang, Valeriane Vukusavljevic, Gabby Williams. Where USA, Japan, Spain, and more rank in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Basketball Games. The United States women's basketball team continues its run at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics mark Korea's seventh appearance and first since the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. In sled hockey, coed in name only, women are building their own Paralympic Women starred at 2022 Winter Olympics, but men photographed most of the action, Portland Thorns win 2022 NWSL Championship, MVP Smith scores game winner. Now those two won't be playing, the spotlight is back on those tasked with trying to exceed the solitary victory attained at the 2004 edition. Brittney Griner will be aiming for a second gold medal after helping the U.S. finish on top of the podium at the 2016 Rio Games. It's just that niggling concern that if a game at the business end of the tournament is on a knife-edge and in the clutch, having Cambage to throw the ball too, or as a distraction for the defense is surely way better than not having her? France came second in 2012 and fourth in 2016. 4) and Serbia (No. Coming off a fourth-place finish at the FIBA Women's World Cup in 2018 and two bronze medals in two most recent Euro Baskets (2017, 2021), the Belgianwomen's squad qualified for its first-ever Summer Olympics after finishing second in the2020 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament at Ostend. 2022 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. It's time. The Women's Olympic Basketball Power Rankings are put together by our panel, led by FIBA's women's basketball specialist Paul Nilsen. , Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account. 3), Canada (No. My job is to keep pushing her and to make sure shes the best player this countrys ever produced because she has that in her right now., Thats always been one of my goals, Smith said of Wilkinsons remarks on her potential. Her wife, former Mercury teammate, Aja Wilson, the 2020 WNBA regular season MVP, will be making her. Copyright 2022 FanRankings. Obviously it hurts, said Loeau LaBonta, citing the Kansas City fans who backed the team this season. The NWSL MVP puts @ThornsFC ahead in under four minutes. ET) with a greater sense of urgency than an . Tamara Abalde, Raquel Carrera, Queralt Casas, Maite Cazorla, Maria Conde, Silvia Dominguez, Laura Gil, Astou Ndour, Laia Palau, Cristina Ouvina, Leo Rodriguez, Alba Torrens. The PHF and Russias largest tech company share the same chairman 2022 NWSL Championship: Portland Thorns vs. Kansas City preview, how to watch, 2022 TOTO Japan Classic: How to watch, whos playing in LPGAs Why not us?: The Kansas City Current bought in to reach 2022 NWSL 2022 NWSL Championship: How to watch, TV info, playoff results, U.S. Eagles face undeniable challenges in efforts to play full time, all three of Oregons gubernatorial candidates. Ahmed Al-Shuwaili Manuel Mazzoni Takaki Kato Yevgeniy Mikheyev Mrti Kozlovskis Rabah Noujaim Samir Abaakil Kingsley Ojeaburu Gizella Gyrgyi Ferdinand Pascual Luis Vzquez Aleksandar Glii Luis Castillo Antonio Conde Yener Ylmaz Amy Bonner Steven Anderson Preliminary round [ edit] All times are local ( UTC+9 ). WASHINGTON It was a fun night to be a Portland Thorn. Come on. In 2019, World Rugby announced that it would remove the word womens from the World Cup name in order to match the non-gender-marked (mens) World Cup. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 21, 2021) - With just over four weeks to go before the 2020 Olympic Opening Ceremony, the 2020 U.S. Olympic Women's . Did the USA women's basketball team win? Qualifiers Record:Qualified as the 2018 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup winnersFIBA World Ranking presented by Nike: 1st. It would not necessarily be a surprise if they stil medaled, and especially with a coach like Sandy Brondello who did so brilliantly at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2018. Team USA was dominant on the interior, taking full advantage of its size, athleticism and physicality, with A'ja Wilson scoring 16 points and Breanna Stewart putting up 14 points. Himawari Akaho, Saki Hayashi, Rui Machida, Evelyn Mawuli, Saori Miyazaki, Yuki Miyazawa, Naho Miyoshi, Nako Motohashi, Moeko Nagaoka, Monica Okoye, Maki Takada, Nanaka Todo. FROM. The three pools are as follows: After pool play, the top two teams in each group along with the two best third-place teams will advance to the quarterfinals. Belgium are making their Olympic debut in Tokyo and could be a big surprise package in this Olympics. Coming off a fifth-place finish at the 2018 FIBA Women's World Cup, they qualified for the Tokyo by finishing at the top of the2020 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament at Bourges. Losing to Japan in preparation might in itself might not warrant a move downwards, but it was maybe more of the familiar pattern which unfolded during that contest. WithRamu Tokashiki injured, there are no WNBA players on the roster. Yet breaking down their roster, it is undeniable that they have an extensive frontcourt rotation that is up there with the best. Korea, ranked 19th in the world, is slotted alongside three teams ranked in the Top 10 of the FIBA rankings in Spain (No. Australia still have an excellent chance of silverware and will look to add their fourth silver medal in the tournament. a'ja wilson with 14 points to lead team usa, while brittney . Jazmon Gwathmey (C) of Puerto Rico (Photo by RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP via Getty Images). Besides the United States, Argentina is the only nation still in existence who has won either the men's or women's tournament. The Lithuanian national basketball team is one of the best Basketball Teams in the world. One of our representatives will be in touch shortly. (Don't forget to rank your Top 10 Olympic Basketball teams at the end of this article for a chance to win a $50 gift card or the equivalence of this amount of your country). Jazmon Gwathmey (C) of Puerto Rico (Photo by RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP via Getty Images)Power ranking the 2021 Olympics women's basketball teams where Team USA looks to capture another gold medal, but who could challenge them?The 2021 Olympics are nearin But the build-up doesn't give much cause for confidence. All the other issues aside of course! Belgium tops France for No. Nako Motohashi came off the bench to score 16. Trae Young voices disappointment over not making Team USA roster on Twitter, Scottie Pippen Put His House on AirBnB For $92 So People Can Watch the Olympics (No Parties Allowed), 2021 Olympics: Potential replacements for Bradley Beal on Team USA roster, Team USA: Bradley Beal placed in health and safety protocols, Stephen A Smith issues second sincere apology for racial remarks about Shohei Ohtani, Nigerian basketball team (Video). It's time to channel that London 2012 spirit and application. Johannes represented the New York Liberty over two seasons in 2019 and 2020. The hosts will be looking to impress in front of a home crowd, and push deep into the tournament. pic.twitter.com/Conz20T3a9, National Womens Soccer League (@NWSL) October 30, 2022, We actually found our way into the game a little bit but we lacked that kind of last piece, said Kansas City head coach Matt Potter. France has a good chance of causing some upsets in this tournament, and a solid team could bring some form of silverware. the americans are in full control and should pick up their 50th straight olympic win. FRANCH. SAVE. Smith, who was named regular season MVP two days ago, made the most of a one-vs-one against Kansas City goalkeeper AD Franch and celebrated with a meme-worthy shrug (video below). Coming off a seventh-place finish in the 2018 FIBA Women's World Cup, the Canadian team qualifies for the Olympics by topping the tablein the2020 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament at Ostend. "https:" : "http:") + "www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js"; var node = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; node.parentNode.insertBefore(gads, node); })(); if (window.googleAds === undefined) { window.googleAds = []; } window.googleAds.push({ id: currentDivId, mapping: "[[[1024,768],[728,90]],[[640,480],[468,60]],[[0,0],[320,50]]]", sizes: "[[320, 50], [468, 60], [728, 90]]", slot: "/112208942/2-Event-Default-300" }); Nigeria, ranked No. Bird, 40, confirmed this was her last Olympics. Top 10 Olympic Teams. She can stop pushing now and shed still be a very good player, one of the best players this countrys produced, Portland head coach Rhian Wilkinson said of Smith. Since graduating from UConn in 2019, she has played for the Minnesota Lynx, earning Rookie of the Year honors in 2019. Portland defeated the Kansas City Current, 2-0, to win the 2022 NWSL Championship at Audi Field. Japan will look to push the tempo and will be ready to cut loose with their shooters from the perimeter. Led by soon-to-be five-time Olympians Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, the U.S. Olympic women's basketball team is an even mix of six veterans and six athletes headed to their first Olympic Games. The incoming envoys were welcomed by the IDF Band playing their respective national anthems, after which they Diana Taurasi already owns four Olympic gold medals and in Tokyo, along with Bird, she could become the first basketball player to ever win five. The United States women's basketball team, coached by former Temple basketball standout Dawn Staley, is going for its seventh consecutive Olympic gold medal. Will the one and only Sonja Vasic propel Serbia to a first ever Olympic Final? TOKYO (Japan) - The Women's Olympic Basketball Tournament is almost upon us and it's time to check out the second volume of the Power Rankings. The latter two were part of the Mystics championship squad in 2019 with Meesseman winning the Finals MVP. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. Chelsea Gray, 28, will be making her Olympic debut in Tokyo. Team USA's duo of Brittney Griner and Sylvia Fowles were outrebounded by Team WNBA's Jonquel Jones,. Their ranking in the last spot is certainly no surprise, of course. On the other end of the field, Franch made a spectacular save (video below) to keep her team in it. Belgium Belgium are making their Olympic debut in Tokyo and could be a big surprise package in this Olympics. Nigeria qualified for Tokyo by finishing thirdin the2020 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament atBelgrade (Group A). They always have the potential to find a way and have two bonafide All-Star Five candidates if they do well in the form of Alba Torrens and Astou Ndour. A'ja Wilson, Brittney Griner key for Team USA women at Tokyo Olympics OLYMPICS Opinion: With competition more fierce than ever, U.S. women's basketball team will have to rely on. All Rights Reserved. That's because we don't know which theory is correct. The team has incredible talent and should easily be able to steamroll this tournament. Perhaps this is generous. As a reminder, though, they have not won a game at a senior global tournament in 11 years. Previous Post Next Post Leslie became the first consecutive four-time Olympic basketball gold medal winner in history, and is one of just four athletes with four Olympic basketball gold medals (Sue Bird, Teresa. Hyeyoon Bae is their best player, but the team struggles to have consistent talent behind her. Also, all eyes are on the scoring power of Jen O'Neill and whether she can handle the inevitable defensive attention coming her way.