The best of the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2014: Spanish history, USA flawless again

09/08/2022

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The best of the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2014: Spanish history, USA flawless again

SYDNEY (Australia) - As the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Sydney comes more sharply into focus, our journey through previous editions continues as we check out the action from 2014 in Turkey.

The USA posted another unbeaten campaign to hold on to their crown with ease as Brittney Griner added extra spice by throwing down dunks. There was also history for Spain who reached the title for the first time, plus a big dose of heartbreak for host nation Turkey who only just missed out on a medal.

The best team: Nobody can stop USA as they retain crown

A typically star-studded cast ensured USA didn't lose a game and kept their hands on their crown

- USA were dominant again as they defended their title with six wins in as many games, eventually beating Spain in the Final with their opponents taking a historic step with a maiden silver medal.

- Maya Moore and Brittney Griner starred for the champions, with the former being crowned MVP and the latter making the All-Star Five. Meanwhile Spanish duo Alba Torrens and Sancho Lyttle were amazing and also made the lineup, along with Penny Taylor who was pivotal in the Opals taking bronze.

Rank	Team	W-L
1.	USA	6-0
2.	Spain	5-1
3.	Australia	5-1
4.	Turkey	4-2
5.	Canada	4-3
6.	China	3-4
7.	France	4-3
8.	Serbia	3-4
9.	Czech Republic	2-2
10.	Belarus	2-2
11.	Brazil	1-3
12.	Cuba	1-3
13.	Korea	0-3
14.	Japan	0-3
15.	Mozambique	0-3
16.	Angola	0-3

A dunk lights it up

Eight years ago there was a lot of talk around dunks in the women's game and with Liz Cambage having famously thrown down one two years earlier at the 2012 Olympics in London, this time Griner took up the baton on the global stage! She came up with the play of the tournament in Istanbul and Ankara with an early throwdown against China.

The best game: Turkey 62-61 Serbia

- It might not have been the easiest on the eye in terms of having beautiful basketball or being a high scoring shootout, but it was unbeatable in terms of the sheer tension. That's because huge and expectant home crowds were behind Turkey and winning this Quarter-Final clash against a dangerous Serbia side was so important for the success of the tournament.

- Lara Sanders had a colossal 14 points and 19 rebounds to send Turkey into the Semi-Finals and while they ended up having to settle for an agonizing fourth place, this win against Serbia ensured an even bigger buzz around the competition for that bit longer.

The best game performance: Alba Torrens

- Six months after delighting one half of Istanbul by inspiring Galatasaray to a historic EuroLeague Women success, Torrens broke all local hearts in the Turkish city with 28 points in the Semi-Final against the hosts.

- Her performance was as vibrant and as impressive as she has ever shown, catapulting Spain into their first ever Final and instrumental in her being named to the All-Star Five.

The hidden star: Li Meng (China)

The winger had a quiet time in Turkey but would soon evolve into a major star

- Having played with distinction at the FIBA U17 and FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cups in the previous two years, Li Meng was handed the opportunity to complete the set with a senior appearance. And, while only playing limited minutes of the bench in 5 of 7 games, that would not be an indicator of what was to come.

- The classy do-it-all baller has become a real leader for China, playing in two Olympic Games, several FIBA Women's Asia Cup events and the 2018 edition of the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup.