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The coverage of the #FIBAU17 World Cup in Minsk, Belarus by the Blue Star Media crew whether on spot or remote has been thorough through the likes of Mike Flynn (https://bit.ly/2vj25xm & https://bit.ly/2KsRDZ9) and BlueStarMedia/Fiba’s own Paul Nilsen (https://bit.ly/2OIkyM2 & https://bit.ly/2AKtRs2), not mentionning the Twitter and video coverage on @MikeFlynn826, @basketmedia365 & @pierrepiotr_. I decided for my part to review some of the players who weren’t necessarily on our watch-list, whose teams didn’t exactly make a deep run in the tournament but who eventually have impressed and shown great quality. As Team USA is pretty well covered on this side of the Atlantic I didn’t include any of their players though Zia Cooke, Paige Bueckers and Hailey Van Lith deserved to be included as well. And here goes my selection.

 

NOGUCHI Sakura (Japan, 5’11, 2001) Finished 7th

While Japan unfortunately collapsed in the second half of its QF against Hungary thus missing out on what looked like a fitting SF spot, as well as in the second half of their 5th-8th spot classification game versus Spain, they still impressed throughout this World Cup. They’re all about team effort to sustain their high-paced style. Their passing skills and ball-movement abilities are only equalled by their never-ending on-court movement. As usual without the presence of a real dominant center, their game is very perimeter-based. At 5’11 Noguchi was one of their tallest player and filled the PF position though coming from Japan this doesn’t directly translate in under-the-basket action. Noguchi displayed a very fine sense for the game with great positioning and spacing. As all of her teammates she is quicker and more agile than most. Her jumpshot is very efficient and she never doubts pulling up, with efficiency. Her good positioning translated in harvesting a good amount of boards. She  finished the tournament as Japan’s most efficient player averaging 12ppg-5rpg on 43.5%FG2 35.3%FG3 in 20mpg, scoring in double digits 5 times out of 7 and 3 times between 15 and 17 points. Miura, Ayashi, Hirashita, McArthur and Fujita were the other Japanese who stood out and formed a strong and coherent unit.

ORSILI Alessandra (Italy, 5’7, 2001) Finished 5th

Alessandra Orsili, just as last summer in Bourges during Euro U16 showed great leadership and passion for Italy. After claiming bronze last year, Italy again finished as the 3rd best European country in the competition behind France (2nd) and Hungary (4th). Orsili is capable of stepping up and creating plays for herself when needed, draining confident 3’s in transition or tough and acrobatic drives to the hoop. Her game was already strong in 2017, she picked things up where she left them this time around too. Throughout the tournament she unfortunately had two games to forget. The first on opening day against the USA just as the rest of her team, and the second during the QF against Australia where she has been in foul trouble the whole game before eventually fouling out with just 13min court-time. Her passion and athleticism allow her to have a very all-round production, scoring, rebounding, defending hard and dishing. That last aspect was very visible in Minsk where she posted between 5 and 7 assists in 5 games out of 7, averaging eventually 4.3apg, a stat that jumps to 6apg if you exclude the games versus USA and Australia where she had none. She is such a fun player to watch, I really can’ wait to see her in the coming summers. She left Minsk averaging 6.9ppg-3.4rpg-4.3apg-2.9spg on 50%FG. In the meantime she is already back wearing an Italian vest, the U18 NT this time, in Udine where in the first game yesterday she posted a strong 14pts-6reb-7st effort versus Croatia against players one year older.

NATALI Giulia (Italy, 5’9, 2002) Finished 5th

Italy would have never finished at the 5th spot of this World Cup without the strong play and impact by Giulia Natali. The Guard/SF impressed with efficiency during Group Phase and Round of 16 while their expected star Ilaria Panzera was struggling to find her game. Natali in those first 4 games averaged 16.5pts and 4.2reb on 51%FG2 & 40%FG3. While her game is short of any gloss it is her concentration and her simple but efficient style that jumps to the eye with a very reliable mid-range shot. One year younger (2002) than the rest of the players (like Caterina Gilli and Ilaria Panzera who we will see again later in the summer in Kaunas, Lithuania for the U16 Euro) Natali isn’t scared of anybody and is relentless when it comes to fighting and getting the job done on both ends of the floor. She finished the World Cup averaging 13.6ppg-3.4rpg-2.6spg on 45%FG2 & 40%FG3. Ilaria Panzera was nowhere to be found in the first 4 games for Italy looking totally absent but eventually turned things around and decided she would play come the QF onwards and show everybody that the buzz around her is rootedl, while Caterina Gilli posted her usual strong tournament of her own, but it’s Natali who was the anchor of the Italian action in Minsk.

LEGER-WALKER Charlisse (New Zealand, 5’9, 2001) Finished 12th

Charlisse Léger-Walker lived up to her reputation in Minsk. Touted as the future of the Tall Ferns, the New Zealand senior NT, with whom she already shared court-time at only 15, she delivered in her own age category. The do-it-all guard took care of business posting an impressive all-round 15.1ppg-8rpg-4.6apg-1.3spg on 44.2%FG2 statline with 4 double-doubles (competition tied #1), some who were just short of becoming triple-doubles. She scored in double digits in all of her games (24ppg in the last 2), reached the double digit in rebounding three times and one time in assists. Beyond her immediate statistical impact it is her leadership, positivity and vocal presence on the court that were a delight to watch. She always makes sure her teammates are on point and she never misses a detail from the on-going action. While NZL didn’t have the ressources to fight for a better ranking, Charlisse certainly showed she had what it takes to compete at the World level.

HERMOSA Nerea (Spain, 6’5, 2001) Finished 6th

What an improvement for Nerea Hermosa between last year’s U16 Euro and this year’s World Cup. She has grown into a strong and athletic big who has impressed with her ability to own the boards and be productive on the offensive end. While she hardly averaged 4ppg and 2.5rpg in Bourges, this year she erupted with a very promising 10.1ppg-8.7rpg on 44.6%FG contribution. While all eyes and expectations, rightly so, were on her fellow frontcourt teammate Raquel Carrera, it turns out that Spain might just have found another serious contender for a spot on the senior NT in the near future where quality forwards are not a luxury. She was another of the double-double machines in Minsk, delivering 3 in 7 games, including a massive 19pts-16reb versus Canada and 14-11 against Japan.  It will be very interesting to keep following her until next summer’s U18 Euro that will allow us to judge if her development is exponential.

ZHENG Ming (China, 5’7, 2001) Finished 11th

Ming Zheng has lit it up in the backcourt for CHN in Minsk as her 28pts (8/12FG2-3/6FG3) versus Japan in Round of 16 can testify. The dynamic, composed and fast PG finished second best scorer for China behind the towering impact of  Yutong Liu with 14.1ppg. Very similar to Japan, China’s game relies on athletic, fast and up-tempo game with a multitude of guards on the court. Zheng was the leader of the pack. Very reliable a mid-range shooter (24/50 for 48%FG2) she could improve her perimeter efficiency though she never refuses an open shot (14/48, 29%FG3). She is hard-nosed and a leader on the court which translates in her taking also care of the intangibles as 3.4rpg and 3.1apg show.

Te-Biasu Sara (Canada, 5’3, 2001) Finished 9th

The pocket-size PG has excelled in ball-handling and in creating her own oppportunities or finding her teammates when needed. In the absence of their star Laeticia Amihere for an ACL injury sustained last winter, Sara was the only Canadian player looking like she could have a serious shot at becoming a regular of the senior NT. With a rather weak team around her she did her best and managed multiple times to create plays when not much was left to do, as  beating the shot clock acrobatically thanks to feats of her own invention. Very balanced, very athletic and composed, the only problem in her future development could lay in her size but she seems to have the mental strength to not get that aspect stop her. She left Minsk averaging a solid 8.4ppg-4apg-2spg.

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Born to Polish PE teachers/coaches parents, involvement with sport and basketball was never a question. Eastern attention to fundamentals, athleticism, discipline and hard work eventually met Western standards through his development in the French system. Now a former player with a passion for the women’s game going back for more than 25 years, he uses his knowledge to bring insights and perspective on women's basketball internationally - with a strong emphasis on Europe and player development.

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