FIBA U16 Women's Asia Championship 2017 Semi-Finals Preview

BENGALURU (FIBA U16 Women's Asia Championship 2017) - Only four teams remain alive for the title in Bengaluru, and today's Semi-Finals featuring Australia, China, New Zealand and Japan should be exciting.

AUSTRALIA vs CHINA

This should be a barn-burner mainly because it features two of the top four teams from the FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup 2016. It will be a battle of contrasting styles, though, with China expected to lean heavily on their dynamic frontline duo of Liu Yutong and Wan Jiyuan, while the Sapphires will feature teamwork and balanced production. Much of the pressure of stopping Liu and Wan will be on Agnes Emma-Nnopu, who has quietly been among the tournament's most productive players. Projected to also carry the fight for the undefeated Aussies are Georgia Amoore, Shyla Heal and Last-Tear Poa.

NEW ZEALAND vs JAPAN

The U16 Tall Ferns have rattled off three straight wins after losing their opener to Australia, but make no mistake, they will be underdogs against the erstwhile unbeaten Japanese. The Akatsuki Five have beaten teams by an average of more than 51 points, and their vaunted speed, teamwork and defense should continue to be on full display in this Semi-Final affair. The power pairing of Charlisse Leger-Walker and Sharne Pupuke-Robati will serve as New Zealand's cornerstone here as they try to stop Japan's three-headed monster of Sakura Noguchi, Maika Miura and Aika Hirashita.

FIBA