NEWCASTLE (Paul Nilsen's Women's Basketball Worldwide) - The William Jones Cup might not be at the top of the list of priorities for some national federations and it may not be able to compete with an array of major FIBA tournaments - globally or even within the zones - but it does remain, for a number of nations at least, particularly valuable.

The 36th edition of the competition is due to take place in Chinese Taipei later this week and I thought it was particularly interesting how the tournament provided a valuable outlet for Korea last year and could be hugely important for many Canadian players this year.

In 2013, Korea were able to give opportunities to many players lacking in experience and it boosted the profile of head coach Kim Young Joo, who will now be in the coaching hot-seat at the FIBA World Championship for Women next month as Korea battle on two fronts with the Asian Games taking place at the same time.

This is why making a splash at last year's William Jones Cup was so important.

In the case of Canada, I think it is going to be prove a hugely beneficial experience for those players who are primarily bridging the gap between their youth careers and trying to state a case for inclusion at the senior level.

In fact, they are the team I will probably be watching most closely as the event unfolds. They have badged their side up as the national 'B team' which, while not something I condone in terms of a moniker, it does suggest it could be a launch-pad to one day playing at major tournaments at the senior level.

One of my favourite players in this list is Jamie Weisner who I absolutely loved watching at the FIBA U19 Championship for Women in Lithuania last year and who deservedly made the Al-Tournament Team.She must surely be edging close to contention for the senior group. But, if she is not quite there just yet - even after a very impressive first season in the NCAA Pac-12 with Oregon State University, she needs to continue engaging somewhere in the national team programme.

For a player like Weisner, bridging the gap between youth teams and the future at the highest level is essential for her development and for her confidence. Otherwise it would probably see her just waiting for a call and wondering if it will ever come.

It's important for her because with an Olympic Games in a couple of years, she can rightfully dream of making a late surge into the mix as the next 18 months or so unfold.

After all, Canadian head coach Lisa Thomaidis has shown that inexperience or youth are no barriers, having handed teenage playmaker Kia Nurse a spot last year at the FIBA Americas Championship for Women.

Weisner remains a scorer and valuable 'X- factor' option for the future and as players like Kim Gaucher inevitably fade, Canada need players who can put points on the board. I still think Weisner fits the bill - although she is not the finished article by any means and probably needs more strength and work defensively.

Consequently I am looking forward to following not only Jamie at the William Jones Cup, but also some of her colleagues who will also be in the Pac 12 Conference this season. For as well as Weisner, there are other interesting players who I thought had real potential and are rowing in a similar boat  - although they are all frontcourt players. I really did like Emily Potter at the FIBA U19 World Championship for Women (as I wrote at the time) and she has registered a solid enough freshman year at the University of Utah. Quinn Dornstauder is also heading to Chinese Taipei and has been playing with Arizona State University.

Elsewhere, Emma Wolfram redshirted at Gonzaga University but has a chance of making it to the senior level once she gets her NCAA career rolling, as does Saicha Grant-Allen who steps out with the University of Dayton.

In fact, all but one of the players on the 'B-list' seem to be playing college ball,  so it is an interesting mix and one player who lots of people will also be watching is Adut Bulgak, a forward who was the number one ranked junior college player last season and will now play with the Florida State University.

The William Jones Cup should be exciting as always and certainly intriguing with a capital 'I'!

And, that's only from a Canadian perspective as they field this young and very tall team of senior hopefuls.

Although not exactly an audition for them - it will give provide the opportunity to knock loudly on the door and in the case of Canadian women ballers in particular, prove they have the hard-nosed mentality to be an elite level player.

Something which for me at least, remains the Achilles heel for Canada.

Paul Nilsen

FIBA

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