WUHAN (China) - The FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournament in Wuhan is primed to dish out some classic matchups and presents intriguing opportunities for the upset alert button to be pushed.
Only Belgium have already secured their spot for Berlin and yet they will still be a seriously tough proposition - meaning a truly mouth-watering collection of gamedays lying in wait.
So, how will things unfold for China, Belgium, Brazil, Czechia, South Sudan and Mali?
The Favorite: China
The favorites label is a coin toss between the hosts and Belgium - highlighted by China and the Cats being 4th and 5th in the FIBA Women's World Rankings, presented by Nike. But with passionate home support and the fact that they still have to punch their ticket and be uber-focused, it probably has to be China.
The formula for China will be a familiar and potent one. Their frontcourt rotation is superb and one of the tallest and best in their history. Xu Han is a hero to the fans and will light it up alongside teenage sensation Zhang Ziyu, who's also becoming a favorite too. If the guards get the ball inside, it could be goodnight for most of their opponents.
The Underdog: South Sudan
The unprecedented success last year at the FIBA Women's AfroBasket when South Sudan secured the last podium step will never be forgotten. It was a special and historical moment and showed the future is bright.
However, they face this first global chapter looking to continue their momentum and perhaps cause an upset. It's not out of the question that they cause headaches with the likes of Maria Gakdeng excelling under the basket. But they will be underdogs - although they might argue that label should also be attached to Mali.
The Pivotal Game: Brazil vs Czechia
While both teams will strongly fancy their chances of advancing to Berlin, this is a crunch meeting that could boost their respective chances hugely - or deliver a fatal blow to their hopes. It will be a fascinating and possibly brutal matchup under the basket, since both nations rely heavily on their frontcout performers.
Brazil have massive quality and experience with Damiris Dantas and also former FIBA Women's AmeriCup MVP Kamilla Carodoso. The duo will go up against Julia Reisingerova who is the centerpiece for Czechia and the ever improving Emma Cechova, who is becoming an established senior team performer.
The Superstar: Emma Meesseman
There's not much left to say about the incredible Meesseman. A legend in the modern era of the women's global game. Breaking new records with her back to back MVP awards at FIBA Women's EuroBasket and chasing a third EuroLeague Women MVP award too. She will lead the Cats in just about every way as usual.
The Rising Star: Ziyu Zhang
There's so much excitement for her first senior global outing. While her unmistakable size and height are often the headline, it sometimes masks the talent she has. Don't be surprised if despite still being a teenager, she is a standout leader for China in scoring and rebounding. The center is already transitioning from rising star to superstar.
Did you know?
- South Sudan and Czechia are playing at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament for the first time and Wuhan is the only tournament that has four nations that participated in 2022.
- Incredibly China had the top three players for assists per game across the entire 2022 edition of the Qualifying Tournaments in Siyu Wang (7.3), Yuan Li (7.0) and Sijing Huang (6.7).
- South Sudan are the lowest placed teams in the FIBA Women's World Ranking, presented by NIKE at 55 and that came after a stunning rise of 31 places after the last update.
FIBA