We’re now knocking on the door of the FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup 2019 which will take place in Bangkok, Thailand between July 20-28 and here is my Guide to the event. (Photo: FIBA)
Tournament Website: Here
Games Streamed: Live on FIBA YouTube Channel
Social Media: Use #FIBAU19
Format: 16 teams in 4 x Groups for the opening phase
Participants: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Colombia, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Mali, Mozambique, Spain, Thailand, USA.
U18 Continental Champions (2018): USA, China, Germany, Mali
FIBA Special Long Reads: Florencia Chagas of Argentina HERE, Jaz Shelley (Oregon Recruit) of Australia HERE, Norika Konno (Louisville Recruit) of Japan HERE and Fran Belibi (Stanford Recruit) of USA is HERE.
USA looking to get back to where they belong
That’s right, for the first time since 2005, USA will not turn up at this event to defend their crown. Why? Well, mainly because of WNBA Draftees Maria Vadeeva and Raisa Musina whose spectacular one-two punch in Udine two years ago handed Russia the title and ended USA’s long-running dominance of the event.
Can anybody deny USA again?
One shock every 20 years is probably about right, so it seems unthinkable that USA would fail to win gold at consecutive editions of the competition. FIBA have a VOTE to see who can get closest. Australia have some talent, so do China and Germany would have arguably pushed hard but that is wholly unlikely without the services of FIBA U18 Women’s European Championship 2018 MVP and Oregon star, Satou Sabally. It would be an even bigger shock than in 2017 if USA were victim of an upset.
Surprise Packages?
Hungary play some real nice attractive team basketball and have never finished top six and so that will be a target – although it will depend how much fuel they have in the tank, with many players probably hopping from U18 in Sarajevo. Also Mali will be physical as always and having made history at the previous edition by becoming the first African team to win twice at the same event, they could repeat that or go one better perhaps.
ARGENTINA
How they qualified: 3rd Americas
Key Players: Florencia Chagas, Sofia Acevedo
Fact: Argentina’s most memorable moment of their U19 history actually came in the Thai capital 10 years ago when they took the last podium step.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzwW5-ZHAvG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
AUSTRALIA
How they qualified: 3rd Asia
Key Players: Miela Goodchild, Jaz Shelley, Shyla Heal
Facts: The Gems were left shocked last year when moving from Oceania to Asia for the reformatted U18 competition and finishing third was described as a wake-up call by star guard Jaz Shelley. Also multiple members of this team won historic gold at the FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup in Zaragoza back in 2016.
BELGIUM
How they qualified: 5th place Europe
Key Players: Billie Massey, Becky Massey
Facts: Belgium are back having missed out in 2017. They played in 2015 in Chekhov.
CANADA
How they qualified: 2nd Americas
Key Players: Aaliyah Edwards, Christina Morra
Fact: The bronze medal which Canada attained at the previous edition was the only time they have ever appeared on the U19 podium.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz0YWNiD8Fm/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
CHINA
How they qualified: Champions Asia
Key Players: Yuan Li, Mingling Chen
Fact: Playmaker Yuan Li played for the senior China team at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2018 after being MVP at Asia U18 last year.
COLOMBIA
How they qualified: 4th Americas
Key Players: Mayra Caicedo, Maria Alvarez
Fact: Colombia will play at this event for the first time and this comes 12 months after their maiden outing at the FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup.
GERMANY
How they qualified: Champions Europe
Key Players: Leonie Fiebich, Emily Bessoir
Fact: Germany are debutantes at the event and claimed their spot with a historic first ever yuth gold medal when they won the U18 title in Udine last year.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz0K0t8IVL0/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
HUNGARY
How they qualified: 3rd place Europe
Key Players: Reka Dombai, Barbara Angyal
Fact: Good things are happening at youth level in Hungary and they have one of the most impressive conveyor belts of talent in Europe, with many clubs and academies putting a lot of focus on the next generation. Most importantly due to some money in the senior domestic league which is now rated as one of the most competitive around, players are staying on home soil to play pro.
JAPAN
How they qualified: Runners-Up Asia
Key Players: Nanaka Todo, Norika Konno
Fact: Could Japan be described as the most under-achieving nation at this event as despite their excellent and entertaining basketball, they have still never taken a medal – yet!
KOREA
How they qualified: 3rd place Asia
Key Players: Jiyhun Park, Sohee Lee
Fact: Park played with the senior Korea team last year at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Tenrife.
LATVIA
How they qualified: 4th place Europe
Key Players: Laura Meldere, Nikola Ozola
Fact: Latvia will be without the influential Aleksa Gulbe who was mainly responsible for them getting here as a member of the U18 All-Star Five last year. She has not recovered from an injury problem.
MONSTER performance for Sika Kone (‘02) 🇲🇱 in #FIBAU18Africa Final !
25PTS (11/13 FG), 17REB, 7AST, 3STL, 6BLK ! 51EFF… 😱😱 pic.twitter.com/dYMUq1Cg27
— Tom Thuillier (@tom_thuillier) August 19, 2018
MALI
How they qualified: Champions Africa
Key Players: Assetou Sissoko, Aminata Sangare, Sika Kone
Fact: Mali can repeat the history of 2017 if they can win two games again, or three victories would be another first for African basketball
MOZAMBIQUE
How they qualified: Runners Up Africa
Key Players: Filipa Calisto, Suraya Rijal
Fact: This is the first time that Mozambique have ever featured at any FIBA global women’s event and for extra pleasure they claimed their historic ticket on home soil in Maputo last year. They might fancy their chances of a first U19 victory as well, with Thailand in their Group.
SPAIN
How they qualified: Runners Up Europe
Key Players: Maria Pendande, Laura Piera
Fact: It looks like Spain will opt not to have two of their best three players on site, with Raquel Carrera and Helena Pueyo (stars at U17 in Minsk last year) focusing on the FIBA U18 tournament in Sarajevo.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu8-MHqAN7j/?utm_source=ig_embed
THAILAND
How they qualified: Hosts
Key Players: Yada Sriharaska
Facts: Thailand are the only team that did not play at any U18 event last year and they are hosting for a second time, with their previous coming exactly a decade ago. They went 0-5 so are looking for a first win.
USA
How they qualified: Champions Americas
Key Players: Take your pick……
Fact: USA are trying to make it 8 Finals in a row.
Keep it locked to @Basketmedia365 throughout the tournament!
Paul Nilsen lives and breathes women’s hoops. He’s is a freelance writer working for the sport’s world governing body FIBA where he pens a weekly ‘Women’s Basketball Worldwide Column’ - as well as providing daily content on major club competitions, international tournaments and the women’s youth game. He has an extensive network of contacts across the globe, including an array of elite play-callers and players. Also a qualified coach and referee, he is a big supporter of Blue Star Media and joined as a blogger during the fall of 2016.
