FIBA World Cup Recap
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The 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup came to its exciting conclusion on Saturday. It was an absolute sprint as the top four teams jammed eight demanding games into a mere ten days. There were certainly plenty of surprises along the way, but the ending was not one of them as the United States defeated China by a score of 83-61. Let’s discuss all of the teams’ performances in Sydney, working our way up the standings.
12. Bosnia and Herzegovina (0-5)
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s inaugural appearance in the World Cup did not meet expectations. First of all, it was clear that Jonquel Jones was not her usual self. Averaging 13.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game certainly does not seem like a pedestrian effort, but it is a far cry from the 24.3 points and 16.8 rebounds she put together in last year’s EuroBasket, especially considering that Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Group A featured two notably small teams in Puerto Rico and Korea. However, at the conclusion of an exhausting WNBA slate, there were other numbers which paint a clear story: she only played 25.6 minutes per game compared to 36.3 at EuroBasket, she committed 4.4 turnovers per game, and she did not block a single shot. The former number was certainly influenced by the fact that her team was at the short end of some blowouts, but this all speaks to her overall weariness, which she acknowledged directly on Twitter, and how opposing defenses were able to trouble her. Overall, Bosnia and Herzegovina averaged 18.8 turnovers per game and only shot 26.4% from beyond the arc, both factors which made it very difficult for the team to establish offensive flow. However, it was on the defensive end where the team really struggled. Rim protection was notably lacking even outside of Jones’s struggles, and the fact that starting power forward Nikolina Elez was the team’s next-tallest rotation player at 6-foot-1 was clearly evident. Overall, it just felt like there was something missing from this team, and not just power forward Marica Gajic who had averaged a double-double at EuroBasket.
11. Mali (0-5)
Mali led the tournament in offensive rebounds per game at 15.4. Given the team’s big, athletic roster construction and their consistent struggles to hit shots, this might not be terribly surprising, but it is a credit to the team nonetheless. Otherwise, the team truly struggled. They only made 26.0% of their three-pointers, yet they ranked third in the tournament in long-range attempts per game with 26.2 per game. Young power forward Sika Koné, drafted by the New York Liberty in the third round of this year’s WNBA Draft, certainly showcased her quality at times—leading the tournament with 11.8 rebounds per game and flashing a burgeoning, albeit inconsistent, three-point jumper—but she only mustered 0.88 points per shot. This actually reflects the team well as a whole; some interesting and positive flashes, including from some very young players, but there just was not enough to pull out any wins or even to avoid some dire drubbings. As a footnote, in addition to Koné’s rebounding prowess topping the charts, Diana Balayera led the tournament with 1.8 blocks per game.
10. Korea (1-4)
Entering the tournament, the big question was how the team would function without center Park Jisu. Ultimately, the answer was not particularly well. Only against Bosnia and Herzegovina when Kang Leeseul and Park Hyejin managed it were any Korean players able to exceed five rebounds. The team finished last in overall rebounding, and they allowed the USA to score a record-setting 145 points. Their centers were clearly overmatched, yet the team elected not to adapt to a five-out system that eschewed traditional post play. However, there were certainly bright spots. Kang put together an absolutely historic performance in that game against Bosnia and Herzegovina, scoring an incredible 37 points and shooting 7-14 from beyond the arc. For the tournament as a whole, she averaged 17.2 points and 3.8 made three-pointers per game—no one else even reached three in the latter category. Point guard Park Hyejin also was on fire from deep, making 2.8 three-pointers per game, third in the tournament, on 50% accuracy. Meanwhile, young forward Park Jihyun showed some tenacity attacking the basket in a way that portends well for the program’s future, especially if she can cut and slash off Park Jisu as well as her own dribble moving forward. However, the extent of their defensive woes raises questions and concerns even when their stalwart pivot returns in future tournaments.
9. Japan (1-4)
There just was something missing from this Japan team. Statistically, the most glaring point is that the team only made 26.8% of their three-pointers after hitting 38.4% of them on more attempts per game at the Olympics. However, there is still the question of why that happened. One key factor may have been a significant difference in the point guard play. Record-setting tablesetter Rui Machida sat out the World Cup after playing in the WNBA, and while Saori Miyazaki, a third-stringer at the Olympics, played well, her backups struggled. As a result, the team generally lacked some zip, pace, and verve. They also played much more traditionally overall under new coach Toru Onzuka. This is perhaps inevitable whenever Ramu Tokashiki is healthy for a tournament, but this point is perhaps best encapsulated by the fact that Stephanie Mawuli, only 5-foot-11 but also the clear blocks per game leader in the Japanese domestic league this past season, swung between the two forward spots throughout the tournament. As a consequence, none of their opponents’ leading scorers were post players—unlike every one of their Olympic games—and they never surrendered more than 71 points in a game. On the other hand, they also seemed to play less in transition, hampering their offense, which could not surpass 60 points in any of their last three games. On a positive note, Mawuli was a clear bright spot for Japan, drawing fouls galore in her first major tournament after spending the Olympics on the 3x3 roster, and Maki Takada was excellent as usual in a relatively standard, albeit still clearly undersized, combo big role. However, while having Machida and sharpshooter Saki Hayashi certainly would have made a big difference, part of what has made Japan so special in the recent past was the fact that they played differently than everyone else, and deviating from that slightly led to them sputtering their way through the Group of Death, their opening game evisceration of Mali notwithstanding.
8. Puerto Rico (2-4)
After struggling mightily throughout the Olympics, Puerto Rico brought something truly different to the World Cup. Arella Guirantes jumpstarted their offense as she presented a legitimate threat downhill toward the rim, something that had been absent in previous tournaments. While Guirantes did sometimes seem too comfortable pulling up for contested mid-range jumpers—itself not unusual for Puerto Rico—this completely changed the nature of the offense. Defensively, Mya Hollingshed was a massively consequential addition. Pairing Hollingshed with Isalys Quinones allowed Puerto Rico to play lineups with multiple post players that could at least approximate opponents’ size and athleticism, and both also provided the ability to stretch the floor offensively. This stymied Bosnia and Herzegovina in their first game and continued to serve them well throughout the tournament, especially because Hollingshed ultimately made 42.9% of her three-pointers. California Baptist point guard Trinity San Antonio also showed fearless tenacity as the tournament progressed after a bit of a shaky start. The team still could not match up sizewise with the USA or China, and both of those opponents coasted to blowouts. However, winning even a single game was a historic outcome, let alone winning twice, hanging with Belgium before Emma Meesseman’s injury, and making the quarterfinals. By that measure, this was a massively successful tournament that pointed to further growth.
7. France (3-3)
There are lots of very fair questions which can be asked about France’s performance at this World Cup. For one, we can ask what might have happened if Sandrine Gruda and Marine Johannès were able to play. That is a pure counterfactual, and the team’s extensive use of the stretchier, quicker Marieme Badiane and Iliana Rupert at the five constituted a significant change from running so much through Gruda. A less fanciful question is what would have happened if the team had not gone on a significant cold streak shooting the basketball. France shot 25.6% from three, and many good shooters struggled: Alexia Chartereau (29.2% in the World Cup, 37.6% in league and continental competition this past season), Marine Fauthoux (21.7% in the World Cup, 39.7% in league and continental competition), and especially Iliana Rupert (15.4% in the World Cup, 36.0% in league and continental competition, including the WNBA). There are fair questions to ask about France’s playmaking—the team absolutely cratered whenever Fauthoux was off the floor—but that lack of shooting is a killer and can at least partly be chalked up to luck. On a more positive note, Gabby Williams was an absolute attacking dynamo, looking every bit of a EuroLeague Women Final Four MVP; Fauthoux had a breakout tournament, putting the world on notice; and the team finished second in steals per game behind only the USA. Fauthoux, Johannès, Williams, and Chartereau should be able to lead this team moving forward, and there is every reason to believe that Rupert can join them soon as elite international players, but they will need more from the rest of the roster to remain a top-class national team moving forward.
6. Serbia (3-3)
This was Yvonne Anderson’s team. She averaged 15 points per game while no one else on the roster averaged 11. She had three times more assists than any of her teammates. The team scored as many points as their opponents in the 204 minutes she played; in the 36 minutes she was on the bench, they were outscored by 31. However, it would be reductive to assign all of the credit for Serbia making it out of the Group of Death to the point guard. The team brought a high level of physicality, perhaps best typified by forward Kristina Topuzovic’s consistent hard-nosed play throughout the tournament, and post player Tina Krajisnik showed up as usual as a reliable two-way presence. There was also encouraging play from some young players in their first major tournament as forward Ivana Raca showed nice slashing ability; wing Jovana Nogic provided great size and versatile shooting ability, including off the dribble; and undersized post player Mina Djordjevic provided quality minutes. However, the team certainly could not stand up to the USA in their quarterfinal match and did not quite have enough balance to break into the top half of Group B in order to avoid the juggernaut.
5. Belgium (3-3)
Emma Meesseman’s tournament was certainly disappointing on a variety of levels. In the four games she played she only mustered 5.8 points per game on 29.4% shooting, although she did simultaneously average an incredible 6.3 assists per game. However, during her fourth game against Bosnia and Herzegovina, her tournament was cut short by a calf injury that held her out for the remainder of the tournament. Given how much of the team’s offense revolves around her, her absence essentially eliminated any possibility of the team advancing past the quarterfinals. However, the Cats have generally not been a one woman show, and this tournament saw much more evenly distributed production than at the Olympics. Julie Allemand brought the steady floor general quality she always does, leading the tournament with 6.3 assists per game while Julie Vanloo was on an absolute tear shooting the basketball, and not strictly off the catch. In the post, Kyara Linskens showcased her strength and her adroit hands at both ends, albeit not able to provide the defensive playmaking of Meesseman. A potential silver lining to Meesseman’s injury might also be the increased opportunity the young Massey twins, Becky and Billie, received in a major tournament. As long as Meesseman remains within spitting distance of her prime, Belgium should be in good shape.
4. Canada (5-3)
With Kia Nurse having just recovered from her ACL injury, Bridget Carleton stepped up in a big way for Canada. The small forward, a pretty strict 3-and-D player in the WNBA, paced the team with 12.8 points per game and tied for the team lead in free throw attempts. Carleton was not just relying on others for offense either, notably making a number of short mid-range jumpers off the dribble. For her own part, Nurse’s minutes were limited to 21 per game, but she provided efficient scoring in her time on the court. Nirra Fields joined Carleton and Nurse as double-digit scorers, demonstrating her fierce pull-up jump shooting once again on the international stage. Canada won their games on the defensive end in the group stage, with only Australia passing 65 points against them, but they were unable to maintain such prowess against the USA and Australia in the medal rounds. They also struggled to finish as only Nurse eclipsed the 45.0% mark on her two-point field goal attempts among players with a non-negligible number of attempts. Overall, the team recovered from a group stage exit at the Olympics to earn fourth place, a strong result under new head coach Victor Lapeña and assistant Noelle Quinn.
3. Australia (6-2)
While the hosts fell two points short of a second consecutive appearance in the final, they should certainly take pride in their performance. The team played strong defense throughout the tournament—including ranking second in rebounding, grabbing 45.3 per game—and earned strong contributions from every position on the floor. They also demonstrated physicality attacking the basket, averaging 18.3 free throw attempts per game, another mark where they were second only to the USA. Despite lacking a traditional point guard, they shared the ball well, ranking third in the tournament with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.7. The team hardly missed a beat when Rebecca Allen suffered injuries which forced her to miss several games and left her looking hobbled even when she did return. There were moments when Ezi Magbegor looked like an absolute star, and Stephanie Talbot did what she always does when playing outside the WNBA—take on major responsibilities as a ballhandler and defender and space the floor while admittedly being somewhat inefficient as a scorer inside the arc. Outside of their current WNBA stars, Marianna Tolo provided a strong veteran presence and filled up the scoresheet while Lauren Jackson provided a performance for the ages in the bronze medal game. Entering that match-up shooting 4-16 on her two-point attempts for the tournament and playing very limited minutes, Jackson torched Canada for 30 points in 21 minutes, shooting 11-13 inside the arc on a wide variety of shots, including some vintage turnaround jumpers. The fans also showed up with the tournament setting attendance records for a Women’s World Cup.
2. China (6-2)
China put together strong performances all tournament despite the final game perhaps not going as well as they may have hoped. Their only two losses were against the USA, holding the champions to their narrowest margin of victory, 14 points, in the group stage. In the final, leading scorer Li Meng was out for the second consecutive game with a fever. She had been averaging 16.0 points per game in just 23.3 minutes, shooting 40.7% from beyond the arc and scoring well from all three levels; her absence was a devastating blow both for the Chinese team and the fans. In the post, Han Xu and Li Yueru were practically unstoppable throughout the tournament while Han also enveloped opposing drivers with her length. Meanwhile, point guard Wang Siyu led the tournament in three-point percentage as she shot a blistering 57.9% from beyond the arc, and she also led the team with 4.4 assists per game. They shared the ball well overall, averaging 23.8 assists—trailing only the USA—including notching an incredible 41 assists in their blowout of Puerto Rico. Another aspect where they trailed only the USA was their team three-point percentage, as they made 38.5% of their attempts. It was overall a very balanced effort, with their combination of immense size at the center position, good guard play, and overall floor spacing all contributing mightily to their effort.
1. USA (8-0)
The USA absolutely blitzed teams. There were several games where they jumped out to a double-digit lead before their opponents had scored a single point, and their collective athleticism often disrupted even basic passes out on the perimeter. This helped them dominate the turnover battle, actually creating more steals—and the transition opportunities steals generate—than total turnovers committed, an absolutely shocking combination. This was a testament not just to their defense but also their care with the ball as they recorded a jaw-dropping teamwide assist to turnover ratio of 2.2. That was not a figure that the post-heavier USA teams of the recent past would venture remotely near. In addition, Sabrina Ionescu was the only three-point shooter who made fewer than 37.9% of her attempts, and she only played limited minutes once the three Las Vegas Aces players arrived from the WNBA finals. A’ja Wilson ultimately took home the MVP award despite missing the first two games, but Alyssa Thomas did a great deal to enable the USA’s system, averaging 4.3 assists and 2.4 steals per game while often defending out on the perimeter in triple-big line-ups. At a certain point, it is hard to say much about a team that outscored its opponents by an average of 40.8 points despite playing China, the second-best team in the tournament, twice.
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