On three continents, in four cities and over the span of three days, the Olympic fates of 14 basketball programs were about to get decided. With 16 national teams and 10 available spots at the Olympics remaining, this weekend was going to be a treat for women’s basketball fans… except for people rooting for the four teams that were about to be eliminated. For Team USA, the reigning world champions, and Team France, the host country of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the basketball tournament was a tune-up and a chance to try out some new plays and/or players. For other countries, it was life or death.
Back in October, the 16 competing national teams were divided into four groups. Below are the four host cities and four teams that, from Feb. 8-11, took them over in the name of women’s basketball:
- Xi’An, People’s Republic of China: Puerto Rico, China, New Zealand, France
- Antwerp, Belgium: Senegal, United States, Belgium, Nigeria
- Belém, Brazil: Brazil, Germany, Serbia, Australia
- Sopron, Hungary: Spain, Hungary, Canada, Japan
With Cat Ariail covering Team USA’s experience in Antwerp and Chelsea Leite celebrating Canada making the Olympics in Sopron, here I’ll focus on what happened in China and Brazil.
Xi’An: China cruises to qualification, while Puerto Rico earns Olympic berth in a thriller
After China clinched its place in the Olympics on the first day of competition, following a decisive 94-47 win over New Zealand, and France made easy work of Puerto Rico with a 88-40 win, the last available spot from the group was decided on Saturday, in a game between the Boricuas and the Kiwis.
Settling the winner in a direct contest only added to the excitement, and the game didn’t disappoint. New Zealand opened up strong, winning the first quarter by nine points. The lead was emphasized by Stella Beck’s acrobatic layup at the buzzer, released just as she was falling to the floor. Throughout the game Beck was incredible, finishing up with 21 points, eight rebounds and five dimes. In the first three minutes of second quarter though, Puerto Rico’s Mya Hollingshed took over. The No. 8 pick of the 2022 WNBA Draft scored eight points, grabbed three boards and had one block, cutting the lead to one point. New Zealand would finish the quarter with just five points. Hollingshed would be named TCL Player of the Game.
The teams went back and forth, and with two minutes left in the game New…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Swish Appeal – All Posts…