ZARATE (Argentina) – Everything is set for the start of the FIBA Women's AmeriCup 2027 South American Qualifiers at Espacio DAM in Zarate, Argentina. The competition will tip off this Monday, August 3, with the seven top women's national teams from South America battling for one of the four available spots in the FIBA Women's AmeriCup 2027.
How to watch the tournament
All games will be streamed live on FIBA's official YouTube channel and can be accessed through each game page on the tournament's official website. Fans can also follow all the action and highlights on the official FIBA Women's AmeriCup social media platforms on Facebook, Instagram and X. Be sure to use the hashtag #AmeriCupW.
Players to watch
Several of the region's top players will be in action for their national teams. Here are some of those expected to play leading roles:
Melisa Gretter – Argentina
Date of birth: January 24, 1993 Position: Point guard Height: 167 cm / 5'6" Experience and leadership will be two of the defending champions' biggest assets. She recently played in Spain's top division with Estepona, averaging 7.4 points, 6.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game. At the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournament in Turkey last March, she averaged 9.8 points, 4.8 assists and 4.6 rebounds, meanwhile at the FIBA Women's AmeriCup in 2025 she posted 10.0 points, 5.1 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game.
Bella Nascimento – Brazil
Date of birth: August 21, 2002 Position: Shooting guard Height: 164 cm / 5'5" She was one of the young players who made the biggest impression at the FIBA Women's AmeriCup 2025, and she will now have another opportunity to showcase her development. There, she made a strong international breakthrough averaging 15.0 points and 3.6 assists, while shooting an impressive 48 percent from three-point range. In 2026, she played for Sportiva in Portugal and averaged 13.0 points in the EuroCup Women. At the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournament in China, she averaged 8.8 points while shooting 36 percent from long range.
Jovanka Ljubetic – Chile
Date of birth: April 15, 2000 Position: Forward Height: 178 cm / 5'10" She is expected to once again play an important role in Chile's offense. After making her senior national team debut at the 2024 South American Women's Championship, she took another step forward at the FIBA Women's AmeriCup 2025, finishing as her team's leading scorer with 9.5 points, along with 2.8 rebounds per game. Ljubetic arrives with solid numbers from Chile's Women's League, where she averaged 10.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals while playing for Sportiva Italiana.
Manuela Rios – Colombia
Date of birth: January 25, 1997 Position: Point guard Height: 163 cm / 5'4" She will remain a key piece for Colombia, which will look to maintain their place on the podium. Her role could become even more significant in the absence of Mayra Caicedo due to injury. Rios recently played in Brazil for Sampaio, averaging 8.1 points, 4.4 assists and 2.4 steals. At the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournament in France, she averaged 5.8 points, 3.8 assists and 3.4 rebounds. At the FIBA Women's AmeriCup 2025 she recorded 8.7 points and 3.4 assists per game.
Brianna Herlihy – Venezuela
Date of birth: May 15, 1998 Position: Power forward Height: 185 cm / 6'1" She quickly became one of Venezuela's main standouts after making her senior national team debut. In her first appearance, at the South American Women's Championship in 2024, she posted 14.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Later, at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Mexico, she put up similar numbers, averaging 14.3 points and 9.0 rebounds. At club level, she recently played in Spain's top division with Leganés, where she averaged 9.1 points and 3.6 rebounds.
FIBA