Group A Preview

OSTRAVA (2010 FIBA World Championship for Women) - There are many compelling storylines on the opening day of Group A play here at the FIBA World Championship for Women.
 
The first game in Ostrava is between Belarus and China and the second pits defending world champions Australia against underdogs Canada.
 
"I'm ready to play against everybody," Canada's highly-rated 17-year-old forward Natalie Achonwa, who visited with FIBATV.com before the tournament, said.
 
"We've been going at each other for a while and it's been a long summer.
 
"It's good to play against some other competition, some great competition. We have the best in the world in the same arena, so it's going to be great."
 
For Canada, one of the aims at the World Championship is to maintain the feel-good factor.
 
"We had a 12-year span where we didn't qualify for the Worlds and then we've gone back-to-back, so we're proud of that as a coaching staff, as an organization and certainly as players," Canada coach Allison McNeill said.
 
The Canada captain is Teresa Gabriel.
 
She’s been in the team for 13 years.
 
"It's a great experience for us," Gabriel said.
 
"We're going in as underdogs so we can go in there and play our game. We have nothing to lose."
 
Australia will be formidable.
 
They appear to be peaking at the right time.
 
Coach Carrie Graf's Opals travelled to Connecticut earlier this month and lost heavily to the United States and Spain.
 
But last weekend in Salamanca, the Aussies avenged both setbacks.
 
Australia were nowhere near full strength.
 
Lauren Jackson had yet to join the team after leading the Seattle Storm to the WNBA title.
 
The Opals defeated the Americans, and then with players hurt and unavailable to face Spain, Australia romped to a huge victory.
 
"For us, anytime you beat the USA who are the best team in the world - even if it's in a scrimmage or a friendly - is always a plus," Graf said.
 
"Then for the grit of our team to bounce back and beat Spain when we had only nine players - our key players were out injured - that was a big statement about the depth and grit of our team because Spain are a talent. They can really play."
 
One of those players that missed the Spain game through injury was Penny Taylor, while another was Belinda Snell (calf).
 
Belarus On A Mission
 
Belarus came out of nowhere to win the bronze medal at the EuroBasket Women in Italy three years ago.
 
It was the first time in the Final Round for the country and Anatoly Buyalski's team made the most of the opportunity.
 
They followed that sensational tournament up with a first-ever appearance at the Olympics, finishing sixth, and then last year had another wonderful EuroBasket in Latvia that saw them book a place in the FIBA World Championship for the first time.
 
"I'm excited as ever," captain Nataliya Trafimava said.
 
"It's our first time at a World Championship and I hope that it will be a very nice experience."
 
When it comes to China, there is plenty of incentive for Belarus to win.
 
"We want to win against China because we lost to them last time at the Olympics,” Trafimava said.
 
“We’re thinking about that game. I think we must win but it's going to be a very hard game."
 
China are looking to prove their appearance in the last four of the Beijing Games was no fluke.
 
Then, they were led by Australian Tom Maher and now the team is coached by Sun Fengwu.
 
Last year, the Chinese stormed to a gold medal at the FIBA Asia Championship for Women so Belarus are right to be thinking a tough clash is in store for them.
 
Belarus will be missing a valuable player in Katsiaryna Snytsina, whose injured Achilles tendon won't allow her to play this summer.
 
Snytsina has had two operations in the past two weeks.
 
Tatyana Troina has only just come back into the team after an injury lay-off and star center Yelena Leuchanka has been away in the United States playing in the WNBA.
 
Both Leuchanka and Troina looked in fine fettle in practice on Wednesday.
 
"We don't have Katsiaryna and Troina had a problem, and Leuchanka is just back,” Buyalski said.
 
"But I'm hoping we'll see a good Belarus."

Group A games available live on FIBATV.com:

September 23rd - Belarus vs. China - 11.00 GMT
September 23rd - Canada vs. Australia - 13.15 GMT
September 24th - China vs. Canada - 11.00 GMT
September 24th - Australia vs. Belarus - 13.15 GMT
September 25th - China vs. Australia - 11.00 GMT
September 25th - Canada vs. Belarus - 16.00 GMT

 
FIBA