Everything you need to know about the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments
The decisive moment is approaching fast for women’s international basketball, with everything to play for in the upcoming FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, to be played across four separate locations from February 8th to February 11th.
The tournament will see 16 of the world’s best teams compete for ultimate glory and a coveted spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
With classic matchups on the cards and star-stacked rosters announced, it looks like the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments will be an unmissable appointment en route to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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- → Team USA (current World Champions) and France (host country) are already qualified for the Paris Olympics.
- → 16 teams (USA and France included) will take the court to fight for the remaining 10 spots.
- → The top three teams from each group will qualify for the Olympic Games.
- → All tournaments take place from February 8th to February 11th.
- → Fixtures to take place in Antwerp (Belgium), Belem (Brazil), Xi’an (China), and Sopron (Hungary).
Which women’s basketball teams are qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics?
United States and France are already qualified for the Paris 2024 Women’s Basketball Olympic Games, the former after winning the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup at China’s expense, and the latter as host country of the Olympic games. Both teams will take part in the Olympic Qualifying tournaments anyway.
More: 5 things to look out for in the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.
How do the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments work?
The 16 teams are divided into four groups, with the goal of assigning the remaining 10 tickets to the Paris Olympics. Teams in each group will play each other, and the best three teams in each group (excluding groups with France and United States) will qualify for the Paris Olympics.
The groups are made up as follows:
|
Belgium Tournament (Antwerp) |
|
|
Teams |
Olympic Appearances |
|
Belgium |
1 |
|
Nigeria |
2 |
|
Senegal |
2 |
|
USA |
11 |
Belgian Cats prepare to host star-studded Olympic Qualifying Tournament
The Antwerp tournament will be one of the most anticipated of the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, featuring EuroBasket champions Belgium Cats, who will play in front of their roaring home fans just months after upsetting Spain in the EuroBasket final.
With only one Olympic games qualification in their curriculum, the Cats will need to show they have what it takes to get their Olympics encore.
A team stacked with world-class talent, with Emma Meesseman, Julie Allemand, and Kyara Linskens headlining the golden generation of Belgium’s women’s basketball.
The home tournament will see Belgium Cats fight with FIBA Women’s AfroBasket 2023 finalists, the champions Nigeria and runners-up Senegal.
A star-studded Team USA, with potentially Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, Brittney Griner and other WNBA superstars completes a highly expected tournament.
|
Belem Tournament (Brazil) |
|
|
Teams |
Olympic Appearances |
|
Australia |
9 |
|
Brazil |
7 |
|
Germany |
0 |
|
Serbia |
2 |
Germany looking to crash the party in Group of Death
In terms of Olympic pedigree, not many teams can boast Australia and Brazil’s records.
The Carioca defeated the United States in the 2023 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup final, and their star, Vanderbilt’s Kamilla Soares Cardoso, will be looking to replicate her dominating performance in front of the home fans in Belem.
The 22-year-old has huge expectations on her shoulders if Brazil are to make it out of the Tournament on top, with Germany’s recent EuroBasket progress making them tough opponents, and the quality of Australia and Serbia presenting a tough obstacle.
It’s all to play for in Belem for the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Who will punch their tickets to Paris?
|
Xi’an Tournament (China) |
|
|
Teams |
Olympic Appearances |
|
China |
9 |
|
France |
4 |
|
New Zealand |
3 |
|
Puerto Rico |
1 |
China looking for 10th Olympic trip in Xi'an
Two spots are up for grabs in Xi'an, as France have secured an automatic qualification as host country to the Paris games. New York Liberty star Han Xu will once again headline a China team that is looking to make their 10th appearance at the Olympic games.
The 24-year-old towering center, two-time WCBA MVP, is coming off the back of dominant performances in the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup and FIBA Women’s Asia Cup 2023, even earning All-Star-Five honors in the World Cup alongside WNBA stars Breanna Stewart, Bridget Carleton, and Steph Talbot.
Puerto Rico and New Zealand, two teams not to be taken lightly but on different trajectories, will complete the Xi'an group, the Tall Ferns seeking their fourth ticket, their first since 2018, and Puerto Rico will look to follow up their 2020 trip with a back-to-back qualification.
|
Sopron Tournament (Hungary) |
|
|
Teams |
Olympic Appearances |
|
Canada |
7 |
|
Hungary |
1 |
|
Japan |
5 |
|
Spain |
5 |
Women's basketball heavyweights ready to battle for Olympics berth in Sopron
Will home advantage be enough for Norbert Székely’s Hungary to sneak themselves into the Olympic games for the first time since 1980?
Their 4th place at the 2023 FIBA Women’s EuroBasket might suggest they have it in them, but they will face some of women’s basketball heavyweights in the Sopron tournament.
Canada will be aiming for their fourth consecutive Olympic appearance, while Spain will be playing with a chip on their shoulder after missing out on the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 and losing to Belgium at EuroBasket 2023.
Japan won their first medal, and a silver one, in front of their home crowd in Tokyo, and Aika Hirashita is an interesting rising star to take them to their third consecutive Olympic tournament.
2024 FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament Fixture List
|
Game |
Date |
Time (GMT) |
Location |
|
Puerto Rico vs France |
Thursday, 8th Feb 2024 |
08:30 |
Shaanxi Provincial Gymnasium, Xi'an (China) |
|
China vs New Zealand |
Thursday, 8th Feb 2024 |
11:00 |
Shaanxi Provincial Gymnasium, Xi'an (China) |
|
France vs China |
Saturday, 10th Feb 2024 |
08:30 |
Shaanxi Provincial Gymnasium, Xi'an (China) |
|
New Zealand vs Puerto Rico |
Saturday, 10th Feb 2024 |
11:00 |
Shaanxi Provincial Gymnasium, Xi'an (China) |
|
New Zealand vs France |
Sunday, 11th Feb 2024 |
08:30 |
Shaanxi Provincial Gymnasium, Xi'an (China) |
|
Puerto Rico vs China |
Sunday, 11th Feb 2024 |
11:00 |
Shaanxi Provincial Gymnasium, Xi'an (China) |
|
Senegal vs Nigeria |
Thursday, 8th Feb 2024 |
17:15 |
Sportpaleis, Antwerp (Belgium) |
|
USA vs Belgium |
Thursday, 8th Feb 2024 |
19:45 |
Sportpaleis, Antwerp (Belgium) |
|
Nigeria vs USA |
Friday, 9th Feb 2024 |
17:15 |
Sportpaleis, Antwerp (Belgium) |
|
Belgium vs Senegal |
Friday, 9th Feb 2024 |
19:45 |
Sportpaleis, Antwerp (Belgium) |
|
Senegal vs USA |
Sunday, 11th Feb 2024 |
18:15 |
Sportpaleis, Antwerp (Belgium) |
|
Belgium vs Nigeria |
Sunday, 11th Feb 2024 |
15:45 |
Sportpaleis, Antwerp (Belgium) |
|
Germany vs Serbia |
Thursday, 8th Feb 2024 |
20:00 |
Arena Guilherme Paraense, Belém |
|
Brazil vs Australia |
Thursday, 8th Feb 2024 |
23:00 |
Arena Guilherme Paraense, Belém |
|
Australia vs Germany |
Saturday, 10th Feb 2024 |
20:00 |
Arena Guilherme Paraense, Belém |
|
Serbia vs Brazil |
Saturday, 10th Feb 2024 |
23:00 |
Arena Guilherme Paraense, Belém |
|
Australia vs Serbia |
Sunday, 11th Feb 2024 |
20:00 |
Arena Guilherme Paraense, Belém |
|
Brazil vs Germany |
Sunday, 11th Feb 2024 |
23:00 |
Arena Guilherme Paraense, Belém |
|
Spain vs Japan |
Thursday, 8th Feb 2024 |
15:30 |
Arena Sopron, Sopron |
|
Hungary vs Canada |
Thursday, 8th Feb 2024 |
18:00 |
Arena Sopron, Sopron |
|
Canada vs Spain |
Friday, 9th Feb 2024 |
14:30 |
Arena Sopron, Sopron |
|
Japan vs Hungary |
Friday, 9th Feb 2024 |
17:00 |
Arena Sopron, Sopron |
|
Canada vs Japan |
Sunday, 11th Feb 2024 |
14:00 |
Arena Sopron, Sopron |
|
Spain vs Hungary |
Sunday, 11th Feb 2024 |
16:30 |
Arena Sopron, Sopron |
