CANBERRA  (Australia) - If the experience that Canada's Kia Nurse or France's Olivia Epoupa had while living in Australia in competing in the WNBL with the Canberra Capitals is anything to go by, the players that make the journey Down Under for the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022 have a lot to look forward to.

Nurse spent the last couple of championship-winning campaigns with Canberra while Epoupa played for the club last season, when she was named Grand Final MVP.

"It's one of the best experiences I've had in my career," said Nurse, a player that shone at the University of Connecticut, in the WNBA with the New York Liberty and with Canada on the international stage, including at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2018 in Spain.

Epoupa says the people she met Down Under are so welcoming and friendly that despite being a long way from France, she never felt homesick.

"As soon as I arrived here, all the people made me feel comfortable," she said. "It's great to discover this beautiful country, Australia. People are very welcoming. We're going to have a chance to play in very good environments."

Famous for her blinding speed and terrorizing defense, Canberra fans immediately warmed to Epoupa; she came up with so many steals that she earned the nickname, the "French burglar".

Epoupa helped France beat Australia at the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Bourges

So why are more top international players going Down Under to play?

"The league has changed a lot over the last 10 years," said Marianna Tolo, a veteran Australia international who played alongside Nurse and Epoupa at Canberra.

"We got a TV deal with Fox Sport Australia. We have a minimum wage in the league and that has been going up. We're also bringing in a lot of international players. We had Kia and Olivia, and they are high quality players that bring the level of the league up completely.

"That speaks to the quality of the league that these players forgo European seasons and a lot more money to come to Australia, have a tough competition and also to enjoy the experience."

Epoupa went to Australia after a solid showing at the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2019. She helped the French make it all the way to the Final before their nemesis, Spain, ended their title hopes.

Epoupa had spent a couple of seasons playing in Turkey and was intrigued by the opportunity to go Down Under.

"It was a chance to improve, to learn something," Epoupa said. "I knew the Australia national team was one of the best in the world, second in the rankings, so playing there really helped me to understand the way they work, the way they think.

"So as a person, you learn, and this can help you for the rest of your life, so I'll be grateful to these people. I'm especially thankful to my teammates and Mariana, who was a beautiful person, always caring for her teammates and able to share her experience since she's older. She encouraged me, has a good spirit, so it helps having a player like this around. She was like my big sister and on the court, we had a good connection.

"I also knew that Canberra Capitals had ambition, and I wanted that. I knew the way that Paul Goriss and the way his staff was working was very good. I knew they would make me a better player. It was like, 'You want to improve your game and we're going to help you.' It was very positive."

"IT WAS AWESOME TO WIN THAT TITLE IN FRONT OF THE CANBERRA FAN BASE. WITH THE WORLD CUP IN SYDNEY, IT'S ONLY A THREE-HOUR DRIVE FROM CANBERRA SO HOPEFULLY THOSE FANS WILL COME AND SUPPORT US."- Canada's Kia Nurse

Nurse anticipates Australia having one one of the best teams at the World Cup.

"I think it's huge for them to be able to host," she said. "Any time you get to play in front of the home crowd, family members, it's huge. And they’re super talented.

"I think they have this unique ability to play well as a team, they have a ton of size and ability. To have Liz Cambage on both ends of floor, Bec Allen's ability to shoot the ball. They'll be tough."

Nurse predicts her own country will be a force, too. 

Canada won all of their games at the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgium, knocking off Sweden, Belgium and Japan, to book their place at the Tokyo Games. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Olympics have been pushed back a year to 2021.

"We were riding a wave of momentum from Belgium, " she said.

"I think we've been trending up for a couple of years, and with an extra year before the Olympics, that could be good for us."

Nurse and Canada will play at the Tokyo Olympics next year after clinching a spot at the WOQT in Belgium

Nurse felt a sense of "we're all in this together" when Australia was gripped by bushfire crisis.

"There were times when we weren't able to get to practice, the smoke was pretty bad," she said. "It was also evident if we flew to one of our games, we'd get up and you could look down and see it all.

"But they (Australians) rally around themselves, and their country."

Nurse rallied with them, donating $5.00 for every point that her team scored over a five-game stretch, starting in early January, to firefighters and victims.

"WE DON'T HAVE A CHANCE TO GO TO AUSTRALIA EASILY BECAUSE OF THE DISTANCE…IT'S GOING TO BE A SPECIAL TEST AND SOMETHING TO ENJOY."- France's Olivia Epoupa

Winning a second straight championship was like a fairy-tale like ending for Nurse, who will not be going back for a third straight season.

"It was awesome to win that title in front of the Canberra fan base," she said. "With the World Cup in Sydney, it's only a three-hour drive from Canberra so hopefully those fans will come and support us at the World Cup."

Epoupa is glad the World Cup will be in Sydney.

"I'm happy for Australia," she said. "When you look at competitions, mostly they are in Europe or in China.  Plus, we don't have a chance to go to Australia easily because of the distance.

"When we go into a competition like this, we want to be competitive and won't be there as tourists, but when you realize you're in Australia, it's going to be something different. It's going to be a special test and something to enjoy."

FIBA