The best of the FIBA Women’s Basketball WC 1998: USA go unbeaten, Opals sparkle, LJ first steps

SYDNEY (Australia) – Rolling towards the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022, we’re adding to the excitement by looking back on previous editions of the competition and this time it’s 1998 in Germany.

Taking place across seven different venues including Munster, Wuppertal, Rotenburg/Fulda, Karlsruhe, Dessau, Bremen and Berlin, it witnessed a return to winning ways for USA, confirmation of a renewed rivalry with Russia and some history for the Opals.

Best team: sublime 9 wins for unbeaten and invincible USA 

– Having made four consecutive Finals in the tournament between 1979 and 1990, the USA were stung in a big way  in 1994 when they missed out on the title game and had to be content with a bronze medal. Everyone was waiting for the backlash and having been rampant at the Olympics in Atlanta, they repeated that flawless work.

– USA won all 9 games in Germany, although were pushed hard by Russia in the Final as they gutted out a six point victory. Their campaign was led by Dawn Staley with almost 6 assists per game in the backcourt, while Lisa Leslie was a power in the paint and leading scorer with 17 points per outing, supported by Natalie Williams alongside her.

Rank	Team	W-L
1.	USA	9-0
2.	Russia	7-2
3.	Australia	8-1
4.	Brazil	6-3
5.	Spain	5-4
6.	Lithuania	4-5
7.	Cuba	5-4
8.	Slovakia	3-6
9.	Japan	4-4
10.	Hungary	2-6
11.	Germany	3-5
12.	China	2-6
13.	Korea	2-3
14.	Senegal	1-4
15.	Argentina	1-4
16.	DR Congo	0-5

The best performance:  Dawn Staley – USA 

 

– There might have been bigger overall numbers on various player statlines during the tournament, but the brilliant Staley left the best until last with her super performance in the title game.

– The guard capped a wonderful individual tournament and also a superb one for her team as she handed out a stunning 12 assists against Russia in the 71-65 title success. That was a phenomenal effort and Staley demonstrated why she made this slick USA team tick.

The best game: Brazil 72-70 Lithuania

– Brazil arrived in Germany as the defending champions but were without their leader Hortencia Marcari which meant that they were vulnerable to an early exit, even if still, packed with talent.

– This Quarter-Finals tie almost saw them pushed out by a Lithuanian team inspired by the stellar play of Jurgita Streimikiyte, but they clung on to reach the last four of the competition, winning a nail-biting contest 72-70.

Opals snap up slice of history with first podium finish

– It was a historical tournament for Australia as they got their first ever medal at the event, managing to land a bronze via their exciting 72-67 win against Brazil. 

– The team were led by Carla Maree Boyd, Michelle Brogan, Michele Timms and young gun Lauren Jackson. The Opals played brilliantly and finished 8-1, their only loss coming in the Semi-Finals against Russia.

The hidden star: Lauren Jackson – Australia

– Just 17 years old and a future legend of Australian basketball and the female game, FIBA Hall of Fame member Lauren Jackson took her first footsteps on the global stage at the event.

– While many in Australia were aware of her talents, expectations of the rising star were still being shaped and few could have predicted what an impact she would go on to have. The extra thrill for Jackson was getting that debut bronze medal, averaging 10.9 points per game.

Stats leaders

Scorers

Player	Points Per Game
Janeth Dos Santos Arcain	20.2
Licet Castillo Iglesias	18.1
Mikiko Hagiwara	17.5
Lisa Leslie	17.1
Heike Maria Roth	17.1

 

Rebounds

Player	Rebounds Per Game
Iris Alicia Ferazzoli	11.8
Alessandra Oliveira	10.4
Elena Baranova	10.0
Natalie Jean Williams	9.6
Lisa Leslie	8.8

 

Assists

Player	Assists Per Game
Joo Weon Chun	6.2
Dawn Staley	5.8
Licet Castillo Iglesias	5.4
Iveta Bielikova	4.9
Dalma Ivanyi	4.2

 FIBA