The key questions for Nantes
NEWCASTLE (Paul Nilsen's Women's Basketball Worldwide) - It will take something special for any nation outside of the top favourites to book a ticket to Rio 2016, so what are the key questions and issues ahead of the 2016 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament (WOQT) in Nantes?
France - Can they deal with history having seen some home nations choke on the pressure? I think they will handle that with ease and their roster is very strong. I am delighted by the inclusion of Valeriane Ayayi - although I wonder if she would have still made it had Diandra Tchatchouang not been injured. She has a great opportunity to show France what they have been missing. Can France play more expansive basketball? I dearly hope so as their conservative style still gets under my skin a little.
Spain - They are the leading side if their pre-Nantes form is anything to go by and they look like an express train right now with Rio slapped across the destination board. Can they avoid an injury to Alba Torrens? I think that is the only thing that will come near to de-railing them. Other than that, can they control the defensive rebounds and initiate early transition? Of course they can.
Belarus - Can they get the backcourt and wing production to complement the inevitable scoring and rebounding from their twin towers Yelena Leuchanka and Anastasiya Verameyenka? Also can they avoid a tendency in recent times to have one really poor quarter or spell of basketball? I think they should be fine.
Kadın Millilerimiz Belarus'ta #tribünselfie yarışmamızı kazanan Ebru Demiray ve Burçin Gülbol ile birlikte! pic.twitter.com/rCxWozCSls
— TBF (@TBForgtr) June 4, 2016
Turkey - Can they shoot the ball well? It is always a feeling for me that Turkey have the collective basketball IQ to beat most teams as they move the ball really well and play good defence, but they have to make some shots. If they do, then I think they will advance and in the returning Ekrem Memnun, they have a master of defensive strategies so will be a tough wall to break down for their opponents.
China - Can they hit back after that horrendous last major tournament effort at the 2015 FIBA Asia Women's Championship when they were humbled by Japan in the Final? Have they got what it takes to deal with the difficult moments in their games without confidence draining away. Does too much still revolve around Ting Shao? Yes- hence the return of Nan Chen who illustrates a proud Olympic heritage that could be under threat if China don't play well.
Cuba lose Amargo but remain upbeat as final roster for #FIBAOQT confirmed: https://t.co/c0eCtdejq7 #RoadToRio pic.twitter.com/Wj6P6RfbjG
— FIBA (@FIBA) June 3, 2016
Cuba - I think that the absence of Yamara Amargo probably pushes them out of the equation and can they really deal without the former FIBA Americas Women's Championship MVP? Their preparation results have been a little underwhelming to say the least.
Nigeria - Can they beat Korea in Group C to five themselves a realistic chance of making it to Brazil? Very possibly, since Korea are a nation who feel like they are now in transition. My FIBA colleague Julio Chitunda is really excited by them and they certainly do have a lot of scoring options and athleticism which could serve them well.
Korea - See above! Jisu Park and Danbi Kim are both quality players but do Korea have the depth or rotation to make what could be viewed as a slight surprise? Can they sustain their momentum if Park hits foul trouble?
Cameroon - Can they bounce back from their friendly game maulings and show that they can be competitive on the global stage? Some searing questions are now being asked and not least by Julio Chitunda who doesn't think so after they changed almost the entire team from the one that reached last year's AfroBasket Women Final on home soil.
Argentina - Third place at the 2015 FIBA Americas Women's Championship represented progress. They have a slither of quality in the likes of Gisela Vega, although it is a bit too soon for the emerging Victoria Llorente to shine at this level. The recent fourth-place finish at the 2016 South American Women's Championship was disappointing, but was it a real step backwards or prep for Nantes? Can they re-discover their form from Edmonton last year and score upwards of 60-65 points to have a chance?
It is time!! 🇳🇿🏀🇱🇻 #RoadToRio pic.twitter.com/ZMvJrTyw6U
— NZ Tall Ferns (@NZTallFerns) May 27, 2016
New Zealand - Can they find a 20-30 percent uplift in offensive output to really make a challenge? It doesn't look great and it will have to be an outstanding collective effort to even get close to the possibility of an upset – even if the likes of Micaela Cocks and Jillian Harmon are strong leaders and good players. Maybe they could shock Cuba who have been weakened by the loss of Amargo.
Venezuela - Rank outsiders, but buoyed by finishing second at the recent South American Women's Championship, can Venezuela be competitive and cause some problems for their opponents? Probably not as they have had a rough draw against China and Spain, although this reiterates the kind of upward trajectory they need to make to continue an improvement. The performance of Venezuela also reflects by longstanding issue that when it comes to women’s ball and at all levels, the Americas get one spot too many. A debate for another day!
Paul Nilsen
FIBA
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