Going into the World Cup, France seemed like the largest challenger to Staff USA. Sue Hen constructed a stacked roster, with confirmed veterans like Breanna Stewart and Chelsea Grey main a new technology of stars headlined by Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Angel Reese.
Nonetheless, France was only one shot away from beating Staff USA within the gold medal recreation on the Paris Olympics and has a a lot improved roster with children Dominique Malonga, Leila Lacan, Carla Leite, and Pauline Astier actually coming into their very own whereas taking part in within the WNBA this summer time.
After a dominant group section, France appears to be like much less like merely a possible challenger and extra like a drive equal to Staff USA’s expertise. France leads all groups within the event in factors, assists, and steals per recreation, in addition to in effectivity. FIBA’s newest Good Energy Rankings mirror that change. After going undefeated within the group stage and beating two of its opponents by over 40 factors, France jumped into first place, leapfrogging the U.S.
If the 2 groups meet once more in a high-profile recreation, it will likely be fairly the showdown. France is hungry for a gold medal and has confirmed that it belongs in the identical tier because the U.S. on one of many greatest worldwide phases. Staff USA, in the meantime, has unimaginable expertise and a robust legacy to uphold. The truth that FIBA discovered good cause to rank France above the U.S. within the energy rankings solely will increase the strain on Staff USA to show that it nonetheless has an edge over the remainder of the world.
USA Basketball hasn’t misplaced a high-profile recreation on the worldwide stage in a very long time
The USA gained eleven of the primary twenty World Cups. The final time they didn’t win was in 2006, when Australia beat Russia for the gold medal, and the U.S. gained bronze towards Brazil regardless of exhibiting up with a stacked roster that featured Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker, Tina Thompson, Tamika Catchings, Sheryl Swoopes, Sue Hen, Seimone Augustus, Alana Beard, DeLisha Milton-Jones, Cheryl Ford, Michelle Snow, and Katie Smith.
To place that in perspective, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen, the youngest members of Staff USA this 12 months, had been simply three years previous the final time the U.S. didn’t win gold at a World Cup. Neither one was even born but the final time the U.S. ladies’s group didn’t win gold on the Olympics.
Nobody desires to be a part of the group that ends that streak, however the remainder of the world is catching up, and France is on the helm of that evolution.
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