XALAPA (FIBA Americas Championship for Women/FIBA World Championship for Women) - She may be known for her firepower, but Jazmine Sepulveda is banking on the defense of Puerto Rico to catapult themselves all the way to the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women in Turkey.

With a Semi-Final clash against Canada their first opportunity and a potential second bite at the cherry available if they aren't successful in making the Final in Xalapa, Sepulveda is adamant that after three straight wins behind them and confidence high, they can complete the job.

"You know, I think we just have to keep playing hard as a team," she said.

"Our first goal right now is defense - our coach always emphasises defense.

"Defense gets us going, gets us started and I think if we just keep together playing as a team, then we can make it."

The tournament actually started out disastrously for Sepulveda and her team-mates, sustaining an eye-opening first day loss to Brazil in which they were completely routed.

"It was a tough loss," admitted the 28-year-old.

"Brazil is a really good team and every time they are great in terms of players and after that game, we had to just get up and pick our heads up and get ready for the next game.

"And I think that's what we did."

It would be hard to disagree, since Puerto Rico bounced back with a critical success over Argentina - something which was to prove to be arguably the biggest result of the entire tournament so far, as it effectively eliminated their rivals.

Ironically, it was the absence of influential Argentina playmaker Debora Gonzalez, a club team-mate of Sepulveda which helped claim the victory and advance to the last four of the competition.

Although the Puerto Rico guard would have preferred to have gone up against her backcourt partner from CUS Chieti.

"I really was looking forward to it - absolutely," insisted Sepulveda.

"We have become really close friends and we got to know each other playing on the same team in Italy.

"She was my point guard and I was actually excited to play against her, here with the national team.

"When I found out she wasn't in Xalapa, I was a little bit upset."

"I think Argentina missed her because she is a very good player," she added.

"She's very fast and I think they missed her defensively too, because she's a great defender.

"I think she would have helped them a lot if she had been here."

Sepulveda got a taste of global action last year at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women where she was top scorer in the competition.

And after producing on Turkish soil last year, another appointment with the national team in Istanbul or Ankara in 2014 would be just great.

"It was a great experience for me and the girls last year," she recalled.

"The first game was a tough loss but we got through it and it helped us.

"These girls here really deserve to go to the FIBA World Championship for Women next year and experience the same thing and get the chance to play in the best competition."

Standing between Sepulveda and her dream are firstly Canada in Friday's Semi-Final and if unsuccessful, one last opportunity to qualify in the Third-Place Game against the losers of the second Semi-Final, between Brazil and Cuba.

For full and in-depth coverage of the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship for Women, go to the official website http://www.xalapa2013.com.

FIBA