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Watch All Saturday’s EuroBasket Qualifiers in One Place!

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There are 16 games to watch on Saturday, November 17th as there are only two games left in qualifying.  Times listed are Central European, then Eastern Standard:

Estonia vs. Belarus, 4:00pm/10:00am:

Iceland vs. Slovakia, 5:00pm/11:00am:

Albania vs. Hungary, 5:00pm/11:00am:

Bulgaria vs. Ukraine, 5:00pm/11:00am:

Finland vs. Slovenia, 5:30pm/11:30am:

Switzerland vs. Czech Republic, 5:30pm/11:30am:

Lithuania vs. Russia, 6:00pm/12:00pm:

Romania vs. France, 6:00pm/12:00pm:

Poland vs. Turkey, 6:30pm/12:30pm:

Portugal vs. Israel, 7:00pm/1:00pm:

Croatia vs. Italy, 7:00pm/1:00pm:

Germany vs. Belgium, 7:30pm/1:30pm:

Great Britain vs. Greece, 8:00pm/2:00pm:

Netherlands vs. Spain, 8:00pm/2:00pm:

Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Montenegro, 8:15pm/2:15pm:

Macedonia vs. Sweden, 8:15pm/2:15pm:

World Cup Final Day September 30th

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September 30, 2018

It was a different pattern for the United States in the final as they started strong and never relinquished the lead in a 73-56 win over Australia to defend their crown and lock up a spot at the next Olympics.  The day started with the battle for 7th place as Canada edged Nigeria 73-72 to end a disappointing set of knockout round games with a win.  Also in the consolation bracket, France beat China 81-67 despite falling behind early.  Spain gave their home fans a chance to see them medal while Emma Messeeman had one more big effort, but Belgium lost 67-60.

1st Place:

Australia vs. United States 56-73 AUS Smith 10 Cambage 7/14r Magbegor 6 Ebzery 6 O’Hea 6 Bunton 5 Madgen 4 Talbot 4 Whitcomb 3/6r Lavey 3 Allen 2 George 0 USA Griner 15 Taurasi 13 Stewart 10/8r Loyd 9 Bird 6 Charles 6 Ogwumike 4 Wilson 2 Delle Donne 2 Clarendon 2 Plum 2 Tuck 2

3rd Place:

Spain vs. Belgium 67-60 ESP Xargay 17 Torrens 15 Ndour 13/6r Ouvina 9 Nicholls 6/10r Cruz 3 Gil 2 Palau 2 Dominguez 0 Casas 0 Arrojo DNP Sanchez DNP BEL Meesseman 24/9r K. Mestdagh 15 Allemand 8/8a Linskens 4 H. Mestdagh 3 Wauters 2 Carpreaux 2 Delaere 2 Raman 0 Vanloo 0 Nawezhi DNP Nauwelaers DNP

5th Place:

China vs. France 67-81 CHN Shao 16/6r Li M 12 Yang 9 Sun 8/9r Li Y 8/6a Li YR 6 Wang XM 4 Wang SY 3 Han 1 Huang 0 Liu 0 Ma DNP FRA Gruda 16 Johannes 11 Chartereau 10/6r Michel 8 Tchatchouang 7 Miyem 6 Ciak 6 Bernies 6 Epoupa 6 Ayayi 5 Duchet 0 Badiane 0

7th Place:

Canada vs. Nigeria 73-72 CAN Nurse 17 Langlois 14 Raincock-Ekunwe 10/6r Achonwa 8 Fields 6 Colley 6 Ayim 5 Plouffe 4 Gaucher 3 Hamblin 0 Carleton 0 Scott 0 NGR Nyingifa 17 Akhator 13/11r Kalu 13 Elonu 11 Amukamara 8 Imovbioh 4/9r Okoye 3 Ogoke 3 Akashili 0 Akaraiwe 0 Mohammed DNP Edeferioka DNP

World Cup Semifinals September 29th

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September 29, 2018

Semifinals:

The first semifinal was close throughout the first half, but the United States seized control to start the second half thanks to Diana Taurasi as Breanna Stewart also had a big game in the 93-77 win.  Emma Messeeman led Belgium as they now fight for the last medal.  Australia started well in the last game, but Spain was helped by their home fans.  In the end, Liz Cambage could not be stopped as she helped her team win 72-66

Belgium vs. United States 77-93 BEL Meesseman 23/6r K. Mestdagh 12 Linskens 10 Allemand 8/12a Vanloo 8 Delaere 6 Carpreaux 4 H. Mestdagh 3 Raman 2 Wauters 1 Nauwelaers 0 Nawezhi 0 USA Taurasi 26 Stewart 20/7r Griner 16/6r Delle Donne 9 Charles 8/7r Loyd 8/6a Bird 3/7a Ogwumike 3 Plum 0 Tuck 0 Clarendon 0 Wilson 0

Spain vs. Australia 66-72 ESP Ndour 17 Torrens 15 Xargay 9 Palau 7/8a Nicholls 6 Casas 5 Sanchez 4 Cruz 3 Gil 0 Ouvina 0 Dominguez DNP Arrojo DNP AUS Cambage 33/15/r Ebzery 10 George 9/11r Allen 8/6r Whitcomb 5 O’Hea 4 Talbot 2/8a Bunton 1 Smith 0 Madgen 0 Magbegor DNP Lavey DNP

5th Place Playoffs:

The day started in the consolation bracket, where France beat Nigeria 84-62.  Canada’s lead evaporated in the second half again as China won 76-71.

France vs. Nigeria 84-62 FRA Ciak 16 Gruda 15 Michel 12 Tchatchouang 10 Chartereau 9 Johannes 7 Badiane 5 Ayayi 4 Miyem 4 Epoupa 2/6a Duchet 0 Bernies 0 NGR Elonu 15 Nyingifa 12 Ogoke 11 Amukamara 10 Akhator 9/6r Kalu 5 Okoye 0 Edeferioka 0 Imovbioh 0 Akaraiwe 0 Akashili 0 Mohammed DNP

Canada vs. China 71-76 CAN Nurse 18 Achonwa 13/7r Scott 10 Ayim 6 Plouffe 5/7r Gaucher 5 Hamblin 5 Raincock-Ekunwe 4 Colley 3 Langlois 2 Fields 0 Carleton 0 CHN Li M 18 Han 12/9r Shao 8/6a Liu 8 Sun 7 Huang 5 Wang SY 4 Li YR 4 Wang XM 4 Li Y 3/6a Yang 3 Ma DNP

Final Day:
1st Place: Australia vs. United States
3rd Place: Spain vs. Belgium
5th Place: China vs. France
7th Place: Canada vs. Nigeria

World Cup Quarterfinals September 28th

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September 28, 2018

The group winners got a bye into this round and the extra day of rest did not help the United States as Nigeria started better, but the champions found their footing and clamped down for a 71-40.  Liz Cambage and Australia did not wait, building a big lead on China in an 83-42 win.  Kim Mestdagh and Belgium started strong and did not let up in the second half to beat France 86-65.  Hosts Spain struggled with Canada for most of the game, but when it counted, utterly dominated the fourth quarter to win 68-53.

United States vs. Nigeria 71-40 USA Stewart 19 Wilson 11/6r Charles 8/15r Delle Donne 7 Bird 6 Ogwumike 6 Griner 5 Tuck 3 Clarendon 2 Plum 2 Taurasi 2 Loyd 0 NGR Akhator 8 Kalu 8/6a Imovbioh 5/9r Okoye 5 Nyingifa 4 Elonu 3 Ogoke 3 Mohammed 2 Amukamara 2 Edeferioka 0 Akashili 0 Akaraiwe 0

Australia vs. China 83-42 AUS Cambage 20/9r Allen 16 Bunton 8 Talbot 8 Smith 7 Magbegor 6 Whitcomb 5/6r George 3 O’Hea 3 Ebzery 3 Lavey 2 Madgen 2 CHN Li YR 12/6r Shao 7 Sun 6 Han 4/6r Li M 4 Huang 3 Wang SY 2 Li Y 2 Yang 2 Liu 0 Wang XM 0 Ma 0

Belgium vs. France 86-65 BEL K. Mestdagh 23/6r Meesseman 16/9r Allemand 11/13a Vanloo 10 Wauters 7/6r Delaere 6 H. Mestdagh 6 Carpreaux 5 Raman 2 Linksens 0/7r Nauwelaers 0 Nawezhi 0 FRA Johannes 17 Miyem 15 Chartereau 8 Tchatchouang 7 Bernies 6 Ayayi 5 Epoupa 3/8r Gruda 2/10r Ciak 2 Michel 0 Badiane DNP Duchet DNP

Canada vs. Spain 53-68 CAN Nurse 15 Colley 13 Achonwa 8 Ayim 7 Raincock-Ekunwe 5/6r Gaucher 3/7r Fields 2 Plouffe 0 Langlois 0 Carleton DNP Hamblin DNP Scott DNP ESP Ndour 16 Casas 13 Cruz 10 Ouvina 9 Torrens 7/7r Xargay 5 Nicholls 3/7r Palau 3 Gil 2 Arrojo 0 Dominguez DNP Sanchez DNP

Brackets:

Semifinals:
Spain vs. Australia
Belgium vs. United States

5th Place:
Canada vs. China
France vs. Nigeria

World Cup Playoffs September 26th

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September 26, 2018

The second and third place teams in each group started the knockout stages in this round with quarterfinals places and the guarantee of three more games on the line.  The teams that qualified from Asia all ended up in the same quadrant of the bracket and the day started with China beating Nako Motohashi and Japan 87-81.  The next game was also quite close as Nigeria had a lead only to watch Greece rally late, but still escaped 57-56.  France build an early lead on Turkey and it was enough to win 78-61 with Sandrine Gruda’s efficiency leading the way.  Hosts Spain did not expect to be in this position and got quite a fight from Senegal before pulling away for a 63-48 win.  The teams now get a day of rest before the quarterfinals.

China vs. Japan 87-81 CHN Shao 16 Yang 16 Huang 14/9r/7a Li YR 12/8r Li M 8 Li Y 7/7a Xan 5 Sun 5 Wang SY 2 Liu 2 Wang XM 0 Ma 0 JPN Motohashi 25/7a Miyazawa 12/9r Mawuli 12 Okoye 12 Nagaoka 9 Takada 7 Machida 2 Fujioka 2 Akaho 0 Fujitaka 0 Nemoto 0 Mizushima DNP

Nigeria vs. Greece 57-56 NGR Akhator 14/13r Kalu 14/7r Amukamara 13 Nyingifa 10 Imovbioh 2 Edeferioka 2 Okoye 2 Elonu 0 Akashili 0 Akaraiwe 0 Ogoke 0 Mohammed DNP GRE Fasoula 18/12r Maltsi 13/6r Kaltsidou 9 Spanou 8 Pavlopoulou 5 Christinaki 3 Lymoura 0 Nikolopoulou 0 Kosma 0 Spyridopoulou 0 Sotiriou 0 Stamati 0

France vs. Turkey 78-61 FRA Gruda 20/7r Miyem 18 Ciak 10 Chartereau 8 Bernies 6 Ayayi 6 Johannes 5 Epoupa 2/8a Tchatchouang 2 Michel 1 Duchet 0 Badiane 0 TUR Hollingsworth 19/8r Senyurek 12 Alben 12 Caglar 4 Yalcin 4 Koksal 3 Canitez 3 Cakir 2 Cora 2 Guner 0 Aydin 0 Ural DNP

Spain vs. Senegal 63-48 ESP Ndour 14 Cruz 11 Torrens 8 Palau 8 Ouvina 7 Nicholls 6/13r Xargay 4 Gil 3 Casas 2 Sanchez 0 Dominguez 0 Arrojo DNP SEN Thiam 10 Diouf 9 Sarr 7 Diop 7 Sidibe 4 Dieng 4 Sy-Diop 3 Diarra 2/7r Traore 2 Dieme DNP Fall DNP Ndiaye DNP

Bracket:

Canada vs.
Australia vs. China
Belgium vs. France
United States vs. Nigeria

World Cup Day 2 September 23rd

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September 23, 2018

Group A:

Two teams relied on their young stars as Kia Nurse and Canada used a strong first half to beat Park Ji-Su and South Korea 82-63.  Greece refused to go quietly after a poor start as Evanthia Maltsi turned the clock back again to deliver a brilliant performance, but Endy Miyem and France escaped with a 75-71 win.  That makes the group situation simple in the last games on Tuesday.  Canada and France will face off for the top spot in the group and the bye for one round.  South Korea and Greece will play for the last spot in the knockout rounds.

Canada vs. South Korea 82-63 CAN Nurse 29 Ayim 13/6r Langlois 8/6r/6a Fields 8 Raincock-Ekunwe 6/6r Plouffe 5/6r Achonwa 5 Scott 4 Gaucher 2 Hamblin 2 Colley 0 Carleton 0 KOR Park JS 23/9r Kang 17 Park HJ 7/6/9a Park HN 7 Kim HB 6 Lim 2 Kim EJ 1 Kim DB 0 Park JH 0 Sim DNP Choi DNP Baek DNP

France vs. Greece 75-71 FRA Miyem 20 Gruda 9/7r Tchatchouang 9/6r Johannes 8/6a Epoupa 7 Chartereau 6 Duchet 5 Ciak 5 Michel 2 Ayayi 2 Bernies 2 Badiane DNP GRE Maltsi 28 Kaltsidou 9 Spanou 8 Pavlopoulou 8 Lymoura 6 Spyridopoulou 5 Fasoula 4 Christinaki 3 Kosma 0 Stamati 0 Sotiriou DNP

Group B:

This group started and ended Sunday’s games.  Liz Cambage and Australia made quick work of Argentina 84-43.  Turkey started better, but Sarah Ogoke and Nigeria seized the lead in the second half and won 74-68.

Argentina vs. Australia 43-84 ARG Rosset 13 Burani 8 Llorente 6 Boquete 6 Santana 4 Gonzalez 3 Marchizotti 2 D’Urso 1 Gretter 3 Fiorotto 0 Leiva 0 Perez 0 AUS Cambage 24/6r Whitcomb 16 Magbegor 14/8r Smith 10 Bunton 6/6r Allen 5/6r George 3 Madgen 2 Ebzery 2 Talbot 2 Lavey 0 O’Hea DNP

Nigeria vs. Turkey 74-68 NGR Ogoke 22 Akhator 13/10r Mohammed 9/7r Nyingifa 9/7r Kalu 7 Elonu 6 Amukamara 5 Edeferioka 3 Imovbioh 0 Okoye 0 Akashili DNP Akaraiwe DNP TUR Alben 15 Hollingworth 11/6r Cakir 11 Caglar 10 Senyurek 5/6r Koksal 5 Canitez 4 Ural 4 Yalcin 2 Guner 1 Cora 0 Aydin DNP

Group C:

A thriller was played in this group as Kim Mestdagh’s caught fire from outside to keep Belgium in it, but Japan’s duo of Maki Takada and Yuki Miyazawa helped them get the 77-75 win in overtime.  Puerto Rico started better against hosts Spain, but could not keep pace with Astou Ndour and company as they still lost 78-53.  Belgium-Spain will help determine the top spot and the placement for the rest of the teams.

Belgium vs. Japan 75-77(OT) BEL K. Mestdagh 23/7r Meesseman 13/18r Allemand 13/7a Wauters 10 Linskens 7 Carpreaux 4 Vanloo 3 Raman 2 Delaere 0 H. Mestdagh 0 Nawezhi DNP Nauwelaers DNP JPN Takada 26/6r Miyazawa 21/6r Mawuli 12 Fujioka 6/8r Fujitaka 6 Okoye 3 Motohashi 2/7a Akaho 1 Nagoka 0 Mizushima 0 Machida 0 Nemoto 0

Spain vs. Puerto Rico 78-53 ESP Ndour 22 Cruz 9/6r Xargay 8 Gil 6/7r Torrens 6/6r Ouvina 6 Nicholls 5/6r Dominguez 5 Casas 5 Palau 4 Sanchez 2 Arrojo 0 PUR O’Neill 17 Melendez 11/8r Gwathmey 9 Rosado 8 Jones 4/6r Salaman 2 Gonzalez 2 Gibson 0 Perez 0 Quinones 0 Maldonado 0 Placido 0

Group D:

Senegal got their win, fighting their way back against Latvia and prevailing 70-69.  Young players were active in the other game as Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson led the United States in taking care of business against Han Xu and China, winning 100-88.

Senegal vs. Latvia 70-69 SEN Traore 19 Diarra 14/11r Diop 13/7r Sarr 11 Sy-Diop 9 Dieme 4 Diouf 0 Sidibe 0 Thiam 0 Dieng DNP Fall DNP Ndiaye DNP LAT Vitola 14/6r Dikailoulaku 13 Steinberga 12/15r Laksa 12 Brumermane 8/6r Putnina 6 Pulvere 4 Rozenberga 0 Strautmane 0 Kreslina 0 Basko 0 Eglite DNP

China vs United States 88-100 CHN Han 20 Sun 16/6r Li M 12 Shao 10 Wang XM 9 Wang SY 7 Huang 6 Yang 4 Li YR 2 Liu 2 Li Y 0 Ma DNP USA Stewart 23/6r Wilson 20/6r Charles 16/6r Taurasi 13 Tuck 8 Plum 6 Ogwumike 6 Clarendon 4 Loyd 2 Delle Donne 2 Bird 0 Griner DNP

World Cup Day 1 September 22nd

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September 22, 2018

The tournament started on Saturday with all teams in action in two locations on the island of Tenerife.

Group A:

South Korea led after one period, but France controlled the rest of the game to win 89-58.  Canada started quickly against Greece, rolling to an 81-50 win.

South Korea vs. France 58-89 KOR Park JS 15/8r Kang 14 Kim DB 13 Lim 9 Park HJ 5 Kim JE 2 Roberson 0 Park HN 0 Choi 0 Park HJ DNP Sim DNP Baek DNP FRA Johannes 19 Gruda 12/8r Miyem 12/6r Chartereau 12 Ciak 9/10r Ayayi 6 Michel 5 Bernies 4 Duchet 4 Tchatchouang 4 Epoupa 2 Badiane 0

Greece vs. Canada 50-81 GRE Maltsi 14 Fasola 10 Pavlopoulou 8 Christinaki 6 Spanou 5/6r Kaltsidou 5 Kosma 2 Stamati 0 Nikolopoulou 0 Lymoura 0 Spyridopoulou 0 Sotiriou DNP CAN Gaucher 16 Fields 13 Nurse 12 Raincock-Ekunwe 11/8r Achonwa 8 Langlois 7 Hamblin 4/8r Ayim 4 Scott 3 Plouffe 2 Colley 1 Carleton 0

Group B:

This group started with a battle in the post as Evelyn Akhator led Nigeria, but Liz Cambage could not be contained as Australia won 86-68.  The other game saw Turkey’s defense put the clamps on Argentina in a 63-37 win.

Australia vs. Nigeria 86-68 AUS Cambage 34/12r Allen 9 Madgen 8 Whitcomb 8 Magbegor 8 Talbot 6/6a Smith 5 George 4/6a Ebzery 4 Lavey 0 Bunton 0 O’Hea DNP NGR Akhator 21 Kalu 15 Mohammed 8 Elonu 7/6a Amukamara 6 Edeferioka 6 Imovbioh 3 Ogoke 2 Nyingifa 0/6r Akashili DNP Akaraiwe DNP Okoye DNP

Turkey vs. Argentina 63-37 TUR Senyurek 13/8r Caglar 12/6r Hollingsworth 7 Canitez 6 Cora 5 Alben 4 Guner 4 Cakir 4 Ural 3 Yalcin 3 Koksal 2 Aydin 0 ARG Rosset 12 Boquete 10 Gonzalez 6 Gretter 3/6r Burani 2/8r Llorente 2 Santana 2 D’Urso 0 Fiorotto 0 Marchizotti 0 Leiva 0 Perez 0

Group C:

Hosts Spain had a tricky game against Japan, but a strong first half got them the 84-71 win.  An ever faster start came in the last game of the day as Belgium completely dismantled Puerto Rico in the first half to cruise to an 86-36 win.

Japan vs. Spain 71-84 JPN Miyazawa 12/6r Okoye 11 Fujitaka 11 Takada 10/6r Motohashi 10 Mawuli 9 Fujioka 4 Mizushima 4 Nagoka 0 Akaho 0 Machida 0 Nemoto 0 ESP Xargay 15 Ndour 12/7r Gil 12 Ouvina 12 Palau 9/8a Nicholls 7/8r Cruz 6 Torrens 5 Casas 4 Arrojo 2 Sanchez 0 Dominguez DNP

Puerto Rico vs. Belgium 36-86 PUR O’Neill 12 Rosado 9 Gwathmey 5/7r Jones 2 Quinones 2 Salaman 2 Gonzalez 2 Perez 2 Melendez 0 Maldonado 0 Placido 0 Gibson 0 BEL Vanloo 17 Meesseman 16/14r Linskens 15 Raman 10/9r Delaere 9 H. Mestdagh 9 K. Mestdagh 3 Carpreaux 2/7a Allemand 2 Nawezhi 2 Nauwelaers 1/6r Wauters 0

Group D:

The day started in this group and it was a good one as China edged Latvia 64-61.  Senegal gave the United States their best shot early, but the defending champions took care of business and won 87-67.

Latvia vs. China 61-64 LAT Steinberga 16/11r Dikaioulaku 14 Vitola 8/8r Laksa 7 Putnina 6/9r Pulvere 3 Strautmane 3 Brumermane 2 Kreslina 2 Basko 0 Rozenberga 0 Eglite DNP CHN Shao 15 Wang SY 10 Yang 10 Han 8/10r Sun 8/8r Li M 7 Li YR 6 Huang 0 Li Y 0 Ma 0 Liu 0 Wang XM 0

United States vs. Senegal 87-67 USA Delle Donne 19/6r Ogwumike 16 Wilson 15 Stewart 14/6r Charles 6/6r Bird 5 Taurasi 3/7a Loyd 4 Plum 3 Tuck 2 Clarendon 0 Griner DNP SEN Sarr 18 Traore 13 Sy-Diop 9/8r Dieme 9 Diarra 6 Diop 5 Thiam 5 Diouf 2 Sidibe 0 Dieng 0 Ndiaye 0 Fall DNP

Young Players to Watch at World Cup

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This year’s World Cup has a number of players who find themselves drafted next year or in the future.  While most countries tend to rely on their more experienced players, more young players than usual are going to be expected to contribute in this tournament.  Teams listed with players’ names are for the upcoming season and the year is the earliest in which the player can be eligible to be drafted.

Australia:

Ezi Magbegor, C, Melbourne Boomers (Australia), 2019: The clear favorite to be the top international player in this draft class, Magbegor had a difficult decision about whether or not to delay her WNBA dreams by attending college.  By opting not to do so, she immediately put herself in position to be drafted in the first round next year.  This will be the first big chance to see her on an international stage since then as she will be watched closely over the next few months before teams make a decision on where she stands relative to the older college players that she will be competing with for draft position.

Alanna Smith, PF, Stanford, 2019: A mildly surprising inclusion into the Opals roster that qualified for this event last year, she ended up putting up several big scoring outputs.  Smith was asked to play a bigger role in her last college season as she was able to better show off her versatility as a forward.  The team this year has a need for a forward and getting named ahead of more established players is worth noting again.

Canada:

Bridget Carleton, SG, Iowa State, 2019: Canada has relied on a number of veterans over the past few cycles, but with some of them hitting retirement, new faces are being called upon to step up in their place.  A contributor at the youth team level, Carleton has improved in each season in college and there is no reason to suggest that she will not be among the top scorers from power conference teams this year.  While she did not shoot particularly well last year in qualifying for this event, she may find herself coming off the bench with the task of dialing it up from distance again.

Shay Colley, SG, Michigan State, 2019: Colley is not likely to be in this year’s draft as a year sitting out due to transfer gives her two more college seasons, but she was given a prominent role off the bench last summer as they qualified for this tournament.  As a multi-dimensional guard, she fits well with her teammates here and at Michigan State, but she will has some development ahead of her to establish herself as a professional.

China:

Han Xu, C, Xinjiang (China), 2019: It has been clear for several years that there would be a Chinese player in consideration for the 2019 draft.  More recently, the emerging opinion is that there should be two.  Han has been more under the radar than her fellow young post player, playing at the school level last year, but her play this summer, starting with preseason games against WNBA teams, may lift her higher as a prospect.  Of the two, Han has better defensive tools, and while her offensive game is nowhere near as refined, has still shown some ability to knock down jumpers.  The big jump in competition will provide evaluators a better opportunity to see what she might be able to do in the future before the club season, when she will regularly be matched up against WNBA players.

Li Yuan, PG, Shandong (China), 2020: The youngest player in the tournament, Li has earned her spot with a solid summer for the team throughout the training process.  While she has been off the club radar since playing up an age group at the last U19 World Championship, she will have plenty of chances to be evaluated for future potential before anyone has to make a decision.  While she will not be the primary creator on the court with the team’s experienced wings, there could still be a role here for her with the guard mix still up in the air.

Li Yueru, C, Guangdong (China), 2019: Li has been considered a prospect for the upcoming draft since breaking out at the youth national team level and then making an early splash at the professional level.  Accustomed to getting her chances even with more experienced teammates, she will get the chance to show what she can do even with more experienced teammates contributing.  Her post game is fairly polished and she is not the type of player to back down from a challenge, but this will be the start of her needing to answer questions about her long term prospects on a global scale, especially if athleticism is a concern.

Greece:

Eleanna Christinaki, SG/SF, no club, 2019: Known for a turbulent college career at both Florida and Maryland, Christinaki was actually eligible for the last draft if she had decided to leave school sooner.  Teams taking late round chances on talent alone could do far worse.  Her exact professional destination is unknown at this point, making this tournament extra important for her if she wants to start out on a bigger stage, but she will have to pick her moments on a roster filled with veterans.

Mariella Fasoula, C, Vanderbilt, 2019: National team play is the only time that anyone has seen Fasoula in action recently after sitting out the last season to transfer.  While she is eligible for next year’s draft age-wise, it seems more likely that she plays out her college career at this point.  This will be another good chance to see what she can do, but how she plays for a new school will be a bigger factor in how teams see her in the future, especially since she is unlikely to contribute anything other than defense and rebounding with more established scorers on the roster.

Japan:

Monica Okoye, SF, Iris (Japan), 2019: Japan’s rise in basketball has led to a shift in development as young players are now hitting the professional ranks earlier instead of spending their time in the university league.  While that has exposed players to higher level play, most are not ready to contribute immediately and Okoye falls in that category.  Teams are unlikely to see anything soon that would make them pull the trigger next year, but sustained skills development as she shifts down positions and the faith shown in her by naming her to this team could see her be a notable player down the road.

Latvia:

Kitija Laksa, SF, South Florida, 2019: Latvia was finally able to call on a full strength squad again last summer and were rewarded with a place in this tournament.  Laksa’s shooting helped them at critical times as her role with this team is likely to be different than what evaluators see in her college games given the experienced playmakers on this roster.  College play will likely determine her WNBA potential, but this will be her opportunity to be a bigger name on an international level.

Digna Strautmane, SF, Syracuse, 2020: Having just finished her first year in college, it may be a while before anyone thinks about her pro potential, but Strautmane’s impact internationally before and after she arrived in school means that she will always be a player to watch.  A versatile forward, she will not be called on to score as she as she did at the youth national team level, but she could certainly fill in at a variety of roles when she is needed the most.  Three more years of college development could make her a totally different player by the time 2021 rolls around although she can be picked in 2020 based on age.

Puerto Rico:

Isalys Quinones, PF, Dartmouth, 2019: She is likely to be drafted higher than anyone else in this article in 2019, but that will probably come in the Puerto Rican League Draft.  A California native, Quinones has improved each season in college.  With the national team needing depth in the post to supplement their guard-oriented play, she helped them to reach this stage and make history.  While she may not be a WNBA prospect, she can certainly have a long career professionally if she chooses to pursue it as the Puerto Rican League will be waiting.

Senegal:

Yacine Diop, SF, Louisville, 2019: A key part of Pitt’s brief resurgence, Diop has opted to spend her last college season at Louisville, where evaluators will be able to see her alongside other prospects on a regular basis ahead of the draft.  It will be a good opportunity for her to show that she can continue to demonstrate her scoring prowess with improved efficiency.  While there are a number of established players on this team, there is a role for her here, which will help her become better known around the world after relative obscurity, something that should help her throughout her professional career.

South Korea:

Park Ji-Hyun, SF, no club, 2020: After a player was drafted from South Korea in the latest draft and played immediately, could there be another one soon?  Like the last young phenom in the country, Park has been fast-tracked to the senior national team, earning her spot with a productive summer.  There will be plenty of time to evaluate where she stands compared to other prospects, especially as she makes the jump from the scholastic level to the professional level at home.  The commitment to expanding her skillset beyond creating for herself bodes well for her future as one of the best Korean players and the opportunity to expand that globally.

Turkey:

Ilayda Guner, C, Istanbul University (Turkey), 2019: Coming off an excellent summer at the youth national team level, Guner earned a spot on this roster as she has been slowly integrated into the senior setup recently.  She may not get much time to show what she can do here, but the more youthful approach taken by Istanbul University recently should afford her the chance to play big minutes in the coming year.

South American Championship Final Day September 4th

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September 4, 2018

Final:

The championship game closed the week’s action.  Brazil had the early lead, but Argentina fought back in the second half, rallying late for the 65-64 win and momentum ahead of their aspirations on the global stage.

Brazil vs. Argentina 64-65 BRA Dos Santos 19/15r De Paula 13 Paixao 10 De Souza 6 Honorio 4/7r Justino 4 Sangalli 0 Da Silva 2 Colhado 2 Monteiro 2 Pacheco DNP Soares DNP ARG Boquete 13 Rosset 13 Llorente 11/6r Gretter 11 Gonzalez 10 Santana 4 Burani 2 Marchizotti 1 Durso 0 Fiorotto 0 Leiva DNP Perez DNP

3rd Place:

The hosts fended off Paraguay’s late charge 83-78 for the last medal.  Colombia was led by Narlyn Mosquera and Jenifer Munoz while Maria Caraves helped Paola Ferrari pace the visitors.

Colombia vs. Paraguay 83-78 COL Mosquera 25 Munoz 20 Arias 14/10r/6a Prens 8 Martinez 7/8r Rios 5 Caicedo 4 Palacio 0 Vente 0 Cordoba 0 Paz DNP Lopez DNP PAR Ferrari 34/6r Caraves 20/8r Peralta 10/11r Gomez 5 T. Insfran 4/6r Mercado 3 Pena 2 Huttemann 0 Rojas 0 Quevedo DNP R. Insfran DNP Cardenas DNP

5th Place:

The consolation final could prove to still be important if another spot for next year opens up so Venezuela shook off lingering disappointment and took care of business with an 85-60 win over Ecuador behind Daniela Wallen.

Venezuela vs. Ecuador 85-60 VEN Wallen 23/12r/7a Betancourt 13 Renault 10/9r Marquez 10/6a Ortega 9 Garate 8 Perez 3 Duran 3 Corrales 3 Zapata 2 Zamaro 1 Rivera 0 ECU Yepez 14/6r Caicedo 13 Molina 10 Lasso 9 Calderon 6 Barahona 2 Zurita 2 Salcedo 2 Carpio 2 Patino 0 Mogollon 0 Olives 0

7th Place:

The day started with a pair of teams trying to avoid last place as Chile beat Peru 80-70 with a big game from Tatiana Gomez.

Peru vs. Chile 70-80 PER Farfan 19 De Lorenzi 9 Quiroz 8 Bellatin 6 Cueto 6 Guerrero 5 Garcia 4 Mansilla 4 Escudero 3 Vega 2/7r Parodi 2 Cosmopolis 2 CHI Gomez 20/8r Abuyeres 17 Novion 13 Morales 11 Morrison 7/6r Cousino 5 Pizarro 4 Fuentes 3 Troncoso 0/6r Moran 0 Koljanin 0 Colossi 0

South American Championship Semifinals September 3rd

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September 3, 2018

Semifinals:

After a day of rest, the teams started the semifinals.  Upset-minded Paraguay carried a lead into halftime, but Debora Gonzalez and Argentina dominated the third quarter to win 80-67.  It was a similar story to end the day as the home fans helped Colombia lead Brazil, but Clarissa Dos Santos was too much to handle after the break and the pre-tournament favorites advanced 67-58

Argentina vs. Paraguay 80-67 ARG Gonzalez 23 Rosset 18 Burani 14/9r Boquete 7 Llorente 6/6r Santana 6 Gretter 4 Perez 2 Durso 0 Fiorotto 0 Leiva 0 Marchizotti DNP PAR Peralta 17/9r Caraves 13/9r Mercado 13/6a T. Insfran 13 Ferrari 6 Quevedo 3 Rojas 2 Pena 0 Huttemann 0 Gomez DNP R. Insfran DNP Cardenas DNP

Brazil vs. Colombia 67-58 BRA Dos Santos 21/13r Paixao 14 De Souza 9/8r De Paula 7 Colhado 5/6r Honorio 4/8a Soares 2 Sangalli 2 Da Silva 2 Pacheco 1 Justino 0 Monteiro DNP COL Mosquera 18/6r Munoz 12/8r Arias 12 Martinez 8/7a Caicedo 3 Rios 2 Palacio 2 Vente 1 Prens 0 Cordoba 0 Paz DNP Lopez DNP

5th Place:

Monday’s games started with the consolation playoffs as 5th place could still be important.  Venezuela started fast to beat Peru 76-62.  Chile continued their slump after a solid opener, losing to Ecuador 68-61 despite a big bounceback game from Ziomara Morrison as Marjorie Caicedo led the way in the win.

Venezuela vs. Peru 76-62 VEN Wallen 13/6r Betancourt 12 Marquez 10 Renault 10 Corrales 10 Perez 6/10a Duran 5 Ortega 3 Zapata 3 Rivera 2/7r Zamaro 2 Garate 0/10r PER Guerrero 18 Farfan 14 Mansilla 7 Vega 6/12r Cosmopolis 5 Escudero 5 Bellatin 3 Parodi 2/6r Quiroz 2 Garcia 0 De Lorenzi 0 Cueto 0

Chile vs. Ecuador 61-68 CHI Morrison 23/9r Gomez 12/12r Novion 10 Abuyeres 5 Fuentes 5 Cousino 2 Moran 2 Troncoso 2 Colossi 0 Morales 0 Koljanin 0 Pizarro DNP ECU Caicedo 22/7r Salcedo 12 Barahona 12 Yepez 7/6r Calderon 7 Lasso 5/6a Patino 2 Mogollon 1 Zurita 0 Olives 0 Molina DNP Carpio DNP