HAVANA (2016 Olympic Games) - If Cuba are to seal a long overdue Olympic return via success at the 2016 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament (WOQT), much responsibility will fall onto the shoulders of Clenia Noblet.

The frontcourt star is always primed to provide one of the primary thrusts for her team, with her potent fusion of power and skill often far too hot to handle for her opponents. Even if Cuba did relinquish their cherished FIBA Americas Women’s Championship crown this summer to the home-fuelled force which proved to be Canada, there was no hiding the quality of Noblet.

The 28-year-old corralled a near tournament double-double after contributing 12.5 points per game in Edmonton and commanding the glass with an average of 9.2 rebounds each time she took to the court. She also shot the ball better than anyone else and it continued on from a similarly impressive outing earlier in the year during the Pan-American Games in Toronto.

Her efforts have been recognised with an individual accolade in her homeland after Noblet was handed the distinction of being named 'Best Female Cuban Athlete in a Team Sport' - beating off stiff competition from volleyball favourite, Daymara Lescay.

The accolade should help her confidence to flow heading into 2016, as the Guantanamo native looks to propel Cuba to a place at the Olympic table in Rio - with her country having not featured since 2000 in Sydney. She will once again form a formidable partnership with Yamara Amargo, one that has proven highly productive in recent years.

Meanwhile, the profile of Noblet and indeed her dream of reaching Rio has also been heightened by what has turned out to be a landmark calendar year in other ways. That's because for the very first time in her career, she is playing her club basketball outside of Cuba - on Brazilian soil. Suiting up for Maranhao Basquete is giving her an added dimension.

And, with Noblet already an irresistible force for the national team, such new experiences are now likely to further benefit her nation and boost their 2016 Olympic ambitions.

FIBA