France trim WOQT preliminary squad down to 14
ANGERS (2016 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament) - France head coach Valerie Garnier on Wednesday trimmed down the preliminary roster for the 2016 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament (WOQT)
ANGERS (2016 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament) - France head coach Valerie Garnier has trimmed the preliminary roster for the 2016 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament (WOQT) to 14 players ahead of a warm-up game against Japan in Angers on Thursday.
| France 14-player preliminary squad for 2016 FIBA WOQT | |||
| Marielle Amant | Valeriane Ayayi | Amel Bouderra | Helena Ciak |
| Celine Dumerc | Olivia Epoupa | Sandrine Gruda | Marine Johannes |
| Laetitia Kamba | Sarah Michel | Endy Miyem | Paoline Salagnac |
| Gaelle Skrella | Isabelle Yacoubou | ||
Two weeks into the preparations, Ana Filip, Aby Gaye, Johanne Gomis and Ingrid Tanqueray have been cut from the original 18-player squad while nine players who helped Les Bleues to a runners-up finish at EuroBasket Women 2015, remain in the hunt for a final roster spot for the WOQT to be held on home soil, in the city of Nantes.
Two more players will be cut before the WOQT.
Le Groupe France réduit de 18 à 14 joueuses : https://t.co/CUM27YbPf9 #MissionRio pic.twitter.com/9meCtHOQEJ
— Equipe France Basket (@FRABasketball) May 25, 2016
The 14-player squad includes four who featured for France at the London 2012 Olympics in Celine Dumerc, Endene Miyem, Isabelle Yacoubou and Sandrine Gruda.
The quartet proved crucial for France at last year's continental event, although the host nation fell short when it mattered most, losing to Serbia in the Final.
The WOQT will run from 13-19 June, and the hosts are in Group A against Cuba and New Zealand.
If France can progress to the Final Phase, they will go up against a side from Group B - Cameroon, Turkey or Argentina - with a place at the Rio de Janeiro Games at stake. Should they lose that game, the French would still have a chance to reach Rio by winning a couple more games to determine the fifth-place team at the WOQT.
FIBA