National teams spurred on by successful trips to previous World Cups

MIES (Switzerland) – Fifteen of the 16 countries in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournaments have taken part in the main event before, with Bosnia and Herzegovina the lone national team aiming to make a World Cup debut.

Players can use previous performances of their national teams at the World Cup as extra motivation as they attempt to reach Sydney.

China’s fond memories of Australia

Two years after a dominating display in Australia, Haixia Zheng played at the ’96 Olympics

China will have fond memories of Australia because at the 1994 World Cup in Sydney, they reached the Final. That was due in large part to the play of legendary center Haixia Zheng, who is in the FIBA Hall of Fame.

Zheng averaged 26.4 points per game, second only to Hortencia Marcari, and China ended up second – their best ever finish at the event. China edged Cuba, 86-84, in the Quarter-Finals, and then hosts Australia in the Semi-Finals, 66-65, while getting a whopping 36 points from Zheng.

Belarus’ memorable 2010

Belarus celebrated big win over Russia

When the women from Minsk arrive in Osaka, they will do spurred on by the memory of the country’s first World Cup appearance in 2010 in the Czech Republic. Belarus went on a thrilling run and ended up in fourth place. Anastasiya Verameyenka, the team’s superstar power forward, was on that great team and is still wearing the Belarus jersey.

The 2010 event was special. Belarus stunned Russia in the Quarter-Finals, 70-53, behind Yelena Leuchanka’s 17 points and nine rebounds, and they were just seconds away from reaching the Final but fell to the Czechs, 81-77, after overtime. Belarus’ tournament ended with a thud in a 77-68 Third-Place Game defeat to Spain, yet as time has gone on, the disappointment over not reaching the podium has faded and everyone remembers the great overall performance.

Canada’s podium finishes

Canada haven’t been on the World Cup podium for many years, yet they have made it twice, coming in third in 1979 (pictured above) and 1986. The first of those success stories came as a surprise and can be an inspirational story for the current national team players. Canada were a young team, and their legendary player, Bev Smith, remembers having a great coach in Don McCrae.

Opening day success lit the touch paper. “We got Korea in the first game,” Smith said, “and they felt like they could beat us and have this great bracket into the Finals and we ended up beating them in the opening game. Once we won that game, I remember thinking, ‘Wow, we’ve got a chance …'”

That win bolstered the confidence of Canada and propelled them on a run that few saw coming, one that ended with a medal. 

Nigeria reach Quarters in Tenerife

The FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2018 in Tenerife was a seminal moment for D’Tigress, who defeated Turkey, 74-68, for their first-ever triumph in a World Cup, and then defeated Greece, to advance to the Quarter-Finals. Nigeria, with the memory of Tenerife prominent in their thoughts, will be pulling out all stops in an attempt to reach the 12-team World Cup in Sydney.

Belgium’s stunning finish against Spain

Don’t even think of looking for a bigger win than the one that set Belgium women’s basketball alight. It happened in their first World Cup, in 2018.

Belgium had needed to win against hosts Spain by eight points or more to avoid the Qualification for the Quarter-Finals and did so with a basket at the very end. The Cats then peaked with a 85-65 rout of France before finishing fourth.

So yes, Belgium will be eager to return to the big stage.

Runners-up finish for ’79 World Cup hosts Korea

Korea can turn the clock back 43 years and remember when they not only hosted the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup but finished second to the USA and one spot better than Canada, the only team to beat them. After an opening day 76-63 setback, Korea reeled off seven victories in a row, including a 94-82 triumph over the USA. Korea’s Chan-Sook Park (No.15 above) scored 30 against the USA and  averaged 19.9 points per contest.

Russia’s Semi-Final stunner against USA

Russia’s players may want to watch the video replay of their Semi-Final in 2006, when they stunned the USA, 75-68, and made it to the title game for the third time in a row. Russia got on top early, opening up a 25-13 lead after the first quarter, and never looked back as the Americans fell for the first time in 12 years. Unheralded point guard Oxana Rakhmatulina led Russia with 18 points.

Brazil reach top of the mountain Down Under

The mere thought of taking part in a FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Australia should fill Brazil with a sense of urgency because that’s where they had their big moment, the Hortencia-fueled title triumph of 1994. After suffering  a second defeat at the event, falling to China on June 8, the South Americans beat Spain in the Quarter-Finals, 92-87, edged the USA in the Semi-Finals, 110-107, and avenged their setback against China in the championship game,  96-87. Hortencia averaged a tournament best 27.6 points per game. It was the fourth time in five World Cups that she had the highest scoring average.

Japan’s silver in Colombia

The biggest achievement for Japan occurred a long time ago, at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 1975 in Colombia. At the event, Japan not only defeated the USA but also had a thrilling 50-49 triumph over Italy that allowed them to clinch the silver medal.

Memories of the Tokyo Olympics, where Japan were silver medalists, are strong but the players can also turn back the clock to Colombia if they want some extra motivation.

FIBA