2010 FIBA World Championship Preview

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On the eve of the start of the 2010 FIBA World Championship in the Czech Republic, stormbasketball.com scouts the 16 teams who will compete for the title of best country in the world when it comes to womenï¿½s basketball. The teams are divided into four groups of four for the opening round-robin schedule. After a day off, the top three finishers from each group will form two groups of six. Group A will play the three teams that advance from Group B and vice versa. The top four finishers from the resulting Groups E and F will advance to the knockout stages for three consecutive days of games culminating in the championship matchup on Sunday, Oct. 3.

The Favorites

UNITED STATES

World Rank: 1
2008 Olympics: 8-0, gold
2006 World Championship: 8-1, bronze
Qualified: Reigning Olympic champions
World Championship History: 14 - 7 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze
Storm ties: G

Sue Bird, F

Swin Cash

After a misstep in the semifinals of the 2006 World Championship, the USA assumed its place atop the women's basketball world with a dominant performance in the 2008 Olympics. The biggest difference between those two teams offers some concern as the U.S. looks to regain the title of world champions. In 2006, the USA ran low on size, and that could be an issue for this year's squad with Lisa Leslie retired, Candace Parker sidelined by injury and Sylvia Fowles coming back from arthroscopic surgery on her left knee. Fowles has been able to practice, and the U.S. also has Tina Charles with Jayne Appel as insurance. The USA will be slightly smaller than usual at power forward, but Tamika Catchings' skill will help make up for that. With the depth of talent on the roster, the United States remains the heavy favorites, but the problems a frontcourt injury would cause may keep Geno Auriemma up at night.

AUSTRALIA

World Rank: 3
2008 Olympics: 7-1, silver
2006 World Championship: 9-0, gold
Qualified: Reigning World Champion
World Championship appearances: 12 - 1 gold, 1 bronze
Storm ties: F

Lauren Jackson, C

Abby Bishop
Current WNBA players: Jackson, Bishop, G Tully Bevilaqua, F Penny Taylor
WNBA experience: G Kristi Harrower, G Erin Phillips, F Belinda Snell, F Penny Taylor

With Belinda Snell, Penny Taylor and Lauren Jackson, the defending champion Opals are well set at the wing and big forward positions. It is the performance of players at the other two spots in the lineups that will determine whether Australia can challenge the United States should the two teams square off in the final. At point guard, Tully Bevilaqua and Kristi Harrower are beginning to show their age. At 35, Harrower is the younger of the two. With former Storm center Suzy Batkovic-Brown sidelined by a knee injury suffered in WNBL play, the Aussies are very young in the middle. Storm rookie Abby Bishop and talented 6-8 19-year-old Liz Cambage will likely figure in the center rotation. Still, as long as Jackson and Taylor are in their primes and healthy - remember, both were nursing serious ankle injuries when the Opals were blown out in the 2008 Olympic gold-medal game - Australia will have a legitimate chance to win gold.

The Contenders

BRAZIL

World Rank: 4
2008 Olympics: 1-4, 11th
2006 World Championship: 5-4, fourth
Qualified: FIBA Americas Champion
World Championship appearances: 14 - 1 gold, 1 bronze
Current WNBA players: F Iziane Castro Marques, C Erika de Souza
WNBA experience: G Helen Luz, G Adriana Moises Pinto, C Kelly Santos, C Alessandra Santos de Oliveira

After a disastrous 2008 effort, Brazil appears ready to reclaim its spot among the world's best teams. Brazil played in Beijing without its two best players. Center Erika de Souza missed the Olympics due to injury, while Iziane Castro Marques feuded with Head Coach Paulo Bassul during the Olympic Qualifying Tournament and was kicked off the team. The two Dream stars are back and playing their best basketball after helping their team to the WNBA Finals. Brazil has been unable to develop much talent since Castro Marques and de Souza reached the WNBA, but a veteran core of role players with professional experience (including former Storm center Alessandra Santos de Oliveira, now 37, and another former Storm post in Kelly Santos) supports the team's top two players, both in their primes.

CZECH REPUBLIC

World Rank: 6
2008 Olympics: 2-4, seventh
2006 World Championship: 5-4, seventh
Qualified: Host Nation
World Championship appearances: 1
Storm ties: F

Jana Veselï¿½

Having seen Turkey ride home-court advantage all the way to the finals of the recent World Championship for Men, the Czech Republic women are surely hoping to do the same thing. The 2005 European Champions have been inconsistent in major competitions. They failed to reach the medal rounds of the 2009 European Championships, though their motivation was limited because they automatically qualified for the Worlds as hosts. The Czech Republic has good size and depth, but is lacking in top-end talent. The Storm's Jana Veselï¿½ is the only player on the roster with any WNBA experience.

RUSSIA

World Rank: 2
2008 Olympics: 6-2, bronze
2006 World Championship: 5-4, silver
Qualified: FIBA Europe second place
World Championship appearances: 3 - 3 silver
Storm ties: F

Svetlana Abrosimova
Current WNBA players: Abrosimova, G Becky Hammon
WNBA experience: G Ilona Korstin, F/C Irina Osipova, C Maria Stepanova

While Australia won the 2006 World Championship, it was Russia that ended the United States' 12-year unbeaten streak in major international competition. Nobody has played the Americans tougher than the Russians, who have also struggled historically against Australia. Russia also leads the way in terms of gamesmanship; might the team angle for second place in Group F with an eye toward matching up with the U.S. in the semifinals once again? Tatiana Schegoleva has moved on, but Russia still boasts impressive size in the frontcourt. A starting post duo of 6-8 Maria Stepanova and 6-5 Irina Osipova could give the USA some difficulty, especially if the perimeter trio of Storm forward Svetlana Abrosimova, Becky Hammon and Ilona Korstin is hitting its shots.

SPAIN

World Rank: 5
2008 Olympics: 3-3, fifth
2006 World Championship: 4-5, eighth
Qualified: FIBA Europe third place
World Championship appearances: 4
Current WNBA players: F Sancho Lyttle
WNBA experience: G Elisa Aguilar, G Nuria Martinez, F Ana Montaï¿½ana, G Isabel Sanchez, F Amaya Valdemoro

Spain might be the most interesting team in this year's World Championship. Perennially in the second tier of contenders in major international competitions, Spain has addressed its relatively weak frontcourt with the naturalization of Atlanta Dream forward Sancho Lyttle. The downside? Because Lyttle was busy in the WNBA Finals until last week, she's gotten barely any practice time with her new teammates. Lyttle figures to ultimately replace forward Amaya Valdemoro, now 34, as Spain's go-to player. For now, she'll make immediate contributions defensively and on the glass. Spain has a number of experienced players as well as promising young forward Alba Torrens, who played well in the 2008 Olympics.

The Field

ARGENTINA

World Rank: 10
2008 Olympics: did not qualify
2006 World Championship: 5-3, ninth
Qualified: FIBA Americas second place
World Championship appearances: eight

Consistently the second-best team in South America, Argentina was beaten by 26 by its rivals in the finals of last month's South American Championship despite the fact that Brazil was without Castro Marques and de Souza. Without an elite talent on the roster, Argentina will have a tough time competing against the Czech Republic and Russia, but the team's strong defense should carry Argentina to the second group stage.

BELARUS

World Rank: 16
2008 Olympics: 2-4, 6th
2006 World Championship: did not qualify
Qualified: FIBA Europe fourth place
World Championship appearances: debut
WNBA experience: C Yelena Leuchanka

Since finishing third in the 2007 European Championships, Belarus has been competitive in European and intercontinental play. Belarus is led by Dream center Yelena Leuchanka, who had her best WNBA season during 2010 and is a go-to player in international basketball. When teams can match Leuchanka's size and double team her in the post, they should be able to beat Belarus.

CANADA

World Rank: 12
2008 Olympics: did not qualify
2006 World Championship: 2-6, 10th
Qualified: FIBA Americas third place
World Championship appearances: 8
WNBA experience: C Jordan Adams, F Kim Smith

A handful of players on the Canadian roster are surely familiar to NCA fans, none more so than British Columbia native Kim Smith, a standout at Utah who was drafted by Sacramento in the first round. Smith was unable to translate her high-scoring game to the WNBA, but she's the go-to player for a Canadian team that also features former WNBA center Jordan Adams and former Vermont guard Courtnay Pilypaitis. Gonzaga forward Janelle Bekkering is also part of the Canadian squad, which has a chance to compete for second place in Group A with Belarus and China.

CHINA

World Rank: 7
2008 Olympics: 5-3, 4th
2006 World Championship: 3-5, 12th
Qualified: FIBA Asia champions
World Championship appearances: 7 - 1 silver, 1 bronze
WNBA experience: G Miao Lijie, C Chen Nan

The Chinese used home-court advantage to reach the semifinals in 2008 in Beijing, but will be hard-pressed to repeat the feat on foreign soil. China does have a pair of talented, experienced veterans in 6-6 center Chen Nan (who was effective at times for the Chicago Sky) and guard Miao Lijie. China racked up three wins over a short-handed Australia in friendlies earlier this summer and always boasts talented shooters. The team's coaching may not be as strong as in 2008, however, with veteran international coach Tom Maher moving on to guide Great Britain's team.

FRANCE

World Rank: 8
2008 Olympics: did not qualify
2006 World Championship: 5-4, fifth
Qualified: FIBA Europe Champion
World Championship appearances: 8 - 1 bronze
WNBA experience: C Emmeline Ndongue

As the reigning European Champions, France would seem to belong among the contenders. However, the French will have to play in the World Championship without star post Sandrine Gruda of the Connecticut Sun, who withdrew because of knee soreness. France is also missing guard Emilie Gomis, who briefly played for the New York Liberty. That leaves the French heavily dependent on point guard Celine Dumerc and post Emmeline Ndongue, who has the team's sole WNBA experience--17 games for Los Angeles way back in 2006.

GREECE

World Rank: 18
2008 Olympics: did not qualify
2006 World Championship: did not qualify
Qualified: FIBA Europe fifth place
World Championship appearances: debut
WNBA experience: G Evanthia Maltsi

Greece defeated Italy in the crucial fifth-place game of last summer's European Championships, securing the last ticket from the continent to the World Championship to make the first appearance in the country's history. Previously, Greece's only appearance in a major international tournament was when Athens hosted the 2004 Olympics. Then, the Greeks were competitive behind the perimeter duo of Anastasia Kostaki and Evanthia Maltsi. Kostaki is no longer on the roster, but Greece can count on big-time production from Maltsi, the one-time Connecticut Sun player who was named MVP of Euro 2009 after averaging 22.6 points per game. No one else on the roster was in double-figures.

JAPAN

World Rank: 14
2008 Olympics: did not qualify
2006 World Championship: did not qualify
Qualified: FIBA Asia third place
World Championship appearances: 5 - 1 silver
WNBA experience: G Yuko Oga

Having missed out on the 2006 World Championship after losing to Taiwan for the final spot from Asia, Japan returned to the Worlds by beating Taiwan last summer. Without a single player on the roster taller than 6-0, the Japanese will have a tough time matching the size of the Czech Republic and Russia in Group D. Japan is led by point guard Yuko Oga, who was in and out of the Phoenix Mercury's rotation in 2008.

MALI

World Rank: 23
2008 Olympics: 0-5, 12th
2006 World Championship: did not qualify
Qualified: FIBA Africa runner-up
World Championship appearances: debut
Current WNBA players: F Hamchetou Maiga-Bï¿½

Mali's first-ever appearance in the Olympics was hampered when star player Hamchetou Maiga-Bï¿½ suffered ankle and was limited much of the way. Mali headed home winless and last in the standings. Mali has a chance to acquit itself somewhat better this time around, though winning a game will be a challenge.

SENEGAL

World Rank: 22
2008 Olympics: did not qualify
2006 World Championship: 1-4, 15th
Qualified: FIBA Africa champion
World Championship appearances: 6

Africa's most dominant team was upset by Mali in the 2007 FIBA Africa Championship, but reclaimed its title last summer. The most recognizable name on the Senegalese roster is forward Aya Traore, who was a standout at Purdue and played alongside Katie Gearlds.

SOUTH KOREA

World Rank: 9
2008 Olympics: 2-4, 8th
2006 World Championship: 2-3, 13th
Qualified: FIBA Asia second place
World Championship appearances: 5 - 1 silver
WNBA experience: F Jung Sun-Min

Jung Sun-Min, who played the 2003 season in Seattle as the Storm's first-round pick, is still leading Korea at age 35. This might be Jung's last major international competition. She debuted for Korea in the 1994 World Championship 16 years ago. Forward Yeon Beon, who averaged 17.4 points in the FIBA Asia Championships, leads a versatile Korean roster that traditionally features good shooters throughout the lineup.