The 18th edition of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup will take place in Tenerife, Spain and here is our ultimate guide, moving from Group to Group and Team to Team. (Photo – FIBA.com)

Before we get into the guts of our Ultimate Preview and Groups A and B, here’s a few overall facts to get those juices flowing!

• USA have won nine World Cup titles, the most among all teams in the history of the competition. They’ve been on the podium in each of the last 10 FIBA Women’s World Cup tournaments.
• Only Soviet Union have won three or more consecutive World Cups, with no other European country yet winning it.
• The World Cup hosts have reached the Semi-finals in five of the nine tournaments decided in knockout rounds.
• No team have taken part in each of the 17 previous World Cup editions, while Brazil will not take part 14 consecutive appearances. It’s only the second time in history that the Brazilians are not among the qualified teams.
• Belgium, Latvia and Puerto Rico will compete for the first time in a Women’s World Cup.
• Sue Bird is the only player in the history of the Women’s World Cup to have won four medals: three gold medals and one bronze.

Group A

Group A contains two co-favorites to win this pool in Canada and France, with both teams also genuine podium contenders if they play to their potential. Indeed, they look completely locked and inseparable in terms of talent and ambition.

Korea

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Outlook: Always around at these tournaments and never making a deep run, they still usually take a scalp and so their opponents will be wary. Will we continue to see them at global tournaments now Australia have joined the Asia Continental scene? Plus, they rely too much on Park Jisu.
Fact(s): Korea will take part in their 15 World Cup in a row, best current run alongside the USA. Meanwhile Korea have only won two of their nine preliminary round games over the last three editions of the World Cup, and none by more than a 2-point margin.
Key Player: Park Jisu is a phenomenon. The center has played beyond her tender years for so long now and has an amazing resume, including WNBA court time. She was just 15-years old at the last edition of this competition and yet led the team in every way – including scoring. All eyes on her yet again as she is still a teenager. Remarkable.
Interesting Player: While all the focus is on Park, somebody has to do the business in the backcourt and maybe it will be Seungah Lee. She averaged four assists per game in Istanbul last time out.

Greece

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Outlook: They were underdogs last year at the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket in Prague and defied all the doubters by reaching the last four. It looks a step too far again and their preparation results have been underwhelming, but this team loves defying expectation and they have the veteran know-how to surprise again and some nice young players. But, their defense will have to be top drawer.
Fact(s): Greece will take part in their second World Cup, after the 2010 edition when they finished 11th. They managed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup by finishing 4th in the 2017 EuroBasket, the first time.
Key Player: Evina Maltsi is the 39-year-old veteran leader who has seen and done it all. The success of Greece will fall on whether she can shoot the ball well as she is still the biggest offensive danger.
Interesting Player: Eleanna Christinaki is a sharp-shooter who impressed at Maryland in the NCAA and is now ready to move into the pro-game. The guard has had some nice cameos for the national team, but is she capable of a breakout at this tournament?

Canada

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Outlook: Opportunity knocks for a team that looks as talented as anything that has been fielded before, with nice depth, options and talent. It could be all about whether Coach Thomaidis and her go-to players can deliver in the clutch moments and meet heightened expectations.
Fact(s): Canada have only won 11 of their last 37 games at the World Cup. They have won their last two WC games but have failed to win three in a row since 1986-1990 (3). o Canada have won only three of their nine preliminary round games over the last three editions of the World Cup.
Key Player: Kia Nurse is in an important transition period in her career as she moves away from NCAA to pro. After an up and down rookie WNBA season, she is now also going to have to show added maturity and improvement for her country. A class act, the most fascinating element is that competition for backcourt minutes is intense so she will need to step up because of that too!
Interesting Player: Shay Colley was on our radar from FIBA youth World Cups and has shown a big improvement in the past 12 to 18 months. Solid at AmeriCup Women last year, her form is good and could possibly post a breakthrough on her senior global debut.

France

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Outlook: France are a powerhouse but have a terrible record in this particular competition, with no podium finish in six decades. They have an opportunity ahead of them with little to fear and a decent mix of talented veterans and rising stars, although they might miss the legendary Celine Dumerc as it is first tournament since she retired.
Fact(s): While short of medals at this event (just one) France will take part in their 10th World Cup, – the best tally for a European team. France have played 73 and won 36 games at the World Cup, more than any other current European nation – also only losing three of their 12 preliminary round games at the event in the 21st century.
Key Player: Marine Johannes announced her arrival on the global stage two years ago in Rio and goes from strength to strength. Dynamic and entertaining, she needs to now show she is world class and not just a top level European.
Interesting Player: Marieme Badiane has finally been given her chance to shine at a major tournament and she has had quite a wait. Highly rated by many observers, this chance has been a long time coming, so let’s see what the forward can do – albeit probably with limited minutes.

Group B

This looks to be a relatively better-balanced Group now that Australia have injuries, although they will still be red-hot favorites to take top spot. Turkey might be relieved they are in this pool since neither Nigeria or Argentina are frontcourt giants. But beware of Nigeria who are African champs and Argentina did push a weakened Canada close in last year’s AmeriCup Women.

Australia

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Outlook: They have an amazing record making the podium at past editions but will do well to maintain that after losing Marianna Tolo and Leilani Mitchell to injury. They could still do it as WNBA champion Sami Whitcomb has parachute in, so all eyes will be on play-caller Sandy Brondello at her first major tournament at the helm.
Fact(s): Only the USA (103) and the Soviet Union (69) have won more World Cup games than Australia (65). Meanwhile Australia have won all their six games against African teams at the World Cup, by an average margin of +40.
Key Player: Liz Cambage is a colossus as we have seen again in the WNBA and at previous FIBA events, so she will need to be as phenomenal as usual. But she is always on the edge and must avoid any flare-ups, technicals and so forth. Opals need her 100% focused.
Interesting Player: Alanna Smith is well known in NCAA waters and by those who watch the FIBA youth World Cups. Last year the forward erupted at her first senior event at the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup. Can she do it on a global stage now?

Turkey

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Outlook: Having lost a couple of veteran greats in Nevriye Yilmaz and Birsel Vardarli Demirmen, it feels like a golden age is coming to an end and they are on a slippery slope. But we said that last year ahead of the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket and they proved us wrong by taking 5th spot in Prague.
Fact(s): – No team has scored less points in a first quarter of a World Cup game in the 21st century than Turkey against Australia in 2014 (4 points in the 1st quarter). Meanwhile Isil Alben grabbed the most rebounds among the guards at the 2014 World Cup (31).
Key Player: The naturalized Quanitra Hollingsworth will have to drop the anchor in the paint, be productive and avoid foul trouble or injury. The shadow of Lara Sanders battling her for this spot seems to have gone and it’s all on the center to perform again now.
Interesting Player: Ayse Cora is always threatening to do big things and has shown flashes of brilliance at times. Now the Fenerbahce guard must have the confidence to step up on the big stage. She is a smart player and can not only shoot, but pull moves and entertain. Probably behind others in the queue for minutes, will she take her chance if it comes? We hope so.

Argentina

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Outlook: Returning for the first time since 2010, Argentina must recapture the spirit and game they showed last year in the AmericCup Final when a basket away from beating Canada. Their prep results have not impressed and maybe they lack frontcourt quality, offensive firepower and depth to make a run. They will have to keep it ugly and low scoring in every game to have a chance.
Fact(s): They are the team that played the most World Cups without being at least once on the podium. Argentina have only won five of their 22 preliminary round games at the World Cup and are the only team with less than 60 points scored per game on average (55.1).
Key Player: Playmaker Meli Gretter will need to have an incredible tournament if Argentina want to really punch above their weight.
Interesting Player: Victoria Llorente has been a best at FIBA youth level with some huge numbers, but we are waiting patiently for this to translate to senior level as she has not yet been able to show any kind of productivity – and she does have the capacity to do it.

Nigeria

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Outlook: The reigning African champions could be very dangerous in a Group where they will smell blood in the water and could upset Argentina and Turkey. Just a pity they have had barely any top level preparation games to further assess their prospects.
Fact(s): Nigeria is one of the seven teams (6 from Africa) to have a record of 100% losses at the World Cup. They have lost all their games during the 2006 edition, when they finished in the last place. Meanwhile Nigeria’s only encounter in a competitive game against Australia was at the Olympics in 2004 where they lost 73-85 for their first game in the tournament.
Key Player: Adaora Elonu has both WNBA and EuroLeague Women court time and therefore much quality. The versatile forward took more of a backseat last summer, but this is her first major global tournament for her country so expect her to shift up the gears.
Interesting Player: Ezinne Kalu is one of the most energetic, passionate and explosive players around and how she is playing can often be a barometer of the mood in the Nigerian camp.

Keep it locked to @Basketmedia365 and watch out for the second part of our preview in coming days.