FRA – Wonderful basketball: Fournier admires the various styles

Puerto Montt – (FIBA U19 World Championship for Women) – Trying to get France coach Jerome Fournier to talk about some of the individual talent on show at the FIBA U19 World Championship for Women in Chile is a tough ask.

While Fournier is well aware of the outstanding players who will be on court, he stridently believes the result of a basketball game is much more dependent on how well a team functions. “Obviously I can mention some girls like Baric from Slovenia or Casas and Gil from Espana,” he said.

”Nevertheless, I prefer talking to you about the wonderful fast break of the Spanish team, or the nice pick and roll game of Slovenian team, or the brilliant passing game of the Russian team.”

After six year’s coaching experience with France’s junior women’s teams, including leading the U16 women to a bronze medal in the European Championship last year, Fournier takes charge of the U19 world championship team and he knows his team will face a wide variety of styles that can be equally effective.

None more so than the defending champions. “USA basketball is organised around speed across the floor - fast break, one on one, offensive rebounding, full court defence – it is wonderful basketball,” Fournier said.

Another challenge will come from the ever-improving Chinese, with whom France split two games at the Reze International Tournament in France. Fournier knows they are not easy to cover defensively.

”China has a balance between tall girls and shooting guards. So they can score in the paint but behind the arc as well,” he said.

While France may face the USA, China and their European rivals later in the tournament, they already know they will play a strong Australian team on the third day of action in Group C. “I know Australia because I play every year against this nation,” Fournier said.

“Australia plays very clever basketball. Their girls are very strong and they have very good skills, all of their players can pass the ball well in all situations. Moreover, they play very well with the post up.”

So how does the 39 year old, who coaches club team Centre Federal BB in the France-LF2, prepare his team to counter all these different styles of play? “Our opponents are tactical problems we have to resolve when the time comes,” he said.

“When you want to win basketball games, firstly you have to know who you are. My team know who they are because we have worked every day for more than 40 days in this way.”

And what is their way? “The keys of my team? I propose to my opponents to find them,” Fournier said coyly. “And about particular players? I propose to you to look at all of our team.”

FIBA