The FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments for basketball are finished, and the field for the next Olympic Games has been decided.
Australia, Belgium, Canada, People's Republic of China, France, Germany, Japan, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, Serbia, Spain and the USA will all compete at Paris 2024 - with 10 of the teams claiming their spots through the qualifying tournaments that took place in four cities around the world from 8-11 February.
Whose performances stood out during those tournaments? Find out below.
As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.
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Emma Meesseman, Belgium
Playing in front of record-breaking crowds in Antwerp, Emma Meesseman was the driving force behind her team's wins over Senegal and Nigeria, and came so close to beating the U.S. She averaged 17.3 points per game, and 7.7 rebounds, powering her country to its second-ever Olympic quota.
Napheesa Collier, USA
On a team packed with WNBA stars, Napheesa Collier stood out with her consistency. She scored in double digits in each of the U.S. wins, and led the tournament in field goal percentage with an incredible 61.5 percent.
Mai Yamamoto, Japan
Competing in the tough Sopron tournament, Mai Yamamoto played a key role as Japan obtained its Olympic quota. She averaged 17 points and 3.7 assists per game, going 3-for-5 in Japan’s all-important win over Canada.
Kayla Alexander, Canada
Kayla Alexander showed why she is so valuable in the paint. She averaged 13.7 rebounds per game, plus had 16 points per game as Canada obtained a quota for Paris
Gabby Williams, France
As the host country for the next Olympics, France had already secured a quota. Still, Gabby Williams was one of the best players of the tournament in Xi’an, China. While averaging just 20.8 minutes per game, Williams still scored 16.3 points and had 2.7 steals per game.
Yueru Li, People's Republic of China
A big part of the reason why People's Republic of China went 2-1 was because of Li Yueru’s play. She managed to grab 14.3 rebounds per game, then added 15.3 points.
Ezi Magbegor, Australia
Playing for Australia, Ezi Magbegor's 12.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game are impressive. But the number that really sticks out? Nine. Magbegor had nine blocks during the tournament in Brazil, including four each against Brazil and Serbia.
Kamilla Cardoso, Brazil
While Brazil did not secure an Olympic quota, Kamilla Cardoso’s performance can’t be overlooked. Playing in the Belem tournament, she used her 6-foot-8 frame to be one of the best post players in the tournament, scoring 15.3 points and grabbing 11 rebounds per game.
