FIBA: Can Belgium challenge Team USA in Group C?

The women’s 5×5 basketball competition begins Sunday, July 28 and concludes Sunday, August 11 with the gold medal game. The field features 12 national teams, divided into three groups of four teams.

Group A: Serbia, Spain, China, Puerto Rico

Group B: Canada, Nigeria, Australia, France

Group C: Germany, United States, Japan, Belgium

Group play consists of a single round-robin tournament, with the first- and second-place teams advancing to the quarterfinals. The top two third-place teams also will advance to the quarters, where, after a draw, the competition becomes a single-elimination tournament, which will begin on Wednesday, August 7. Group games will be held at Pierre Malloy Stadium in Lille, France, while Accor Arena in Paris will host the quarterfinals, semifinals and medal games.

Here’s more on the four teams contending to advance out of Group C:

Germany

Germany’s trip to Paris should be a celebratory one, as the national team has qualified for the Olympic Games for the first time. Head coach Lisa Thomaidis is sure to rely on the Sabally sisters—2023 WNBA Most Improved Player Satou of the Dallas Wings and the younger Nyara of the New York Liberty—as well as wing Leonie Fiebich, who is enjoying a successful WNBA debut season with the Liberty. The German squad also claims the talents of several former collegiate standouts, including two with WNBA experience in guard Alexis Peterson, who starred at Syracuse (2013-17) and played one season for the Seattle Storm (2017), and center Marie Gülich, who was first round pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft out of Oregon State (2014-18) and played for the Phoenix Mercury (2018), Atlanta Dream (2019) and Los Angeles Sparks (2020). Forwards Emily Bessoir and Lina Sontag, both of whom played for UCLA last season but will not be returning to the Bruins, give the Germans additional depth.

United States

Head coach Cheryl Reeve is tasked with ensuring a stacked American squad continues its gold medal tradition, as Team USA aims to extend its international dominance with an eighth-straight gold medal. 42-year-old Phoenix Mercury legend Dianna Taurasi, who already has five golds in her trophy case, is looking to claim her sixth (and final?) gold medal. She is supported by WNBA stars with different levels of Olympic experience. 2023 WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty and nine-time All-Star Brittney Griner of the Mercury are going for the third golds, while five members of Team USA hope to earn their first 5×5 gold medal.

Japan