Team Profile: Unlocking potential, France's pursuit of the winning formula
X'IAN (China) - The FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 is an exciting opportunity for France to hone their skills and prepare for the upcoming Olympics Games.
The FIBA Women’s OQTs will take place from 8-11 February, with 16 teams competing in four different round-robin tournaments around the world. France and the United States, despite already being assured of places in Paris, will participate in the tournaments, with the top teams securing quotas for the Olympics.
The Roster
Les Bleus' performance in the upcoming tournament will be crucial as they hope to win a medal in the 2024 Olympics Games. With players like Gabby Williams, Marine Johannes, Marieme Badiane, Alexia Chery, and Valeriane Ayayi, the team possesses the talent and skill to compete at the highest level. The tournament will allow these players to showcase their abilities and contribute to France's quest for Olympic glory. Conspicuously absent, however, is Sandrine Gruda, who was part of the All-Start Five in last year's FIBA Women's Eurobasket 2023.
France will surely miss Sandrine Gruda in X'ian.
Sans Gruda, Gabby Williams is expected to lead the charge for Les Bleus. She was part of the All-Star Five in the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022 and should carry this team on her shoulders. Recall that Williams led France in scoring during that tournament. In addition, she was also second in rebounding and third in assists among the French.
Can Gabby Williams continue her stellar play at the OQT level?
The Question
The big question for the French women's basketball team concerns Marine Johannes. Will this tournament be an opportunity for such a gifted player to demonstrate her potential as an indisputable leader for a team of high caliber? Alongside Williams, will she carry her squad in offense, giving her teammates confidence and finding solutions on an individual level when it's needed?
The Hope
France secured a bronze medal in the previous Olympics in Tokyo but landed in seventh place in the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022. With robust and experienced leadership in place, there is optimism that a new generation of emerging talents in France could make a significant impact in 2024. Marine Fauthoux has assumed the role of a floor general, Janelle Salaun has recently demonstrated that she could be the X-factor for this team, Iliana Rupert is showing improvement with each passing year, and teenager Dominique Malonga, considered France's most promising prospect, has exhibited glimpses of pure dominance at the club level.
France should be extra-motivated as they play on a global stage again.
The Fear
The pressure on this team is exceptionally high. Participating in the Olympic Games on home soil is a formidable experience, but the expectations from the home crowd, the media, and all stakeholders involved will also be considerable. For various reasons, since the last Olympic tournament, France has struggled to align all the necessary elements to play at the highest level the team is capable of. This tournament represents the final opportunity to build chemistry, establish the right hierarchy, and find the optimal balance within the group. It's a significant task at hand.
IN THE LAST 10 FIBA EVENTS
| YEAR | EVENT | LOCATION | ACHIEVEMENT |
| 2023 | FIBA Women's Eurobasket | Tel Aviv (ISR) and Ljubljana (SLO) | 3rd |
| 2022 | FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup | Sydney (AUS) | 7th |
| 2021 | FIBA Women's Eurobasket | Strasbourg (FRA) and Valencia (ESP) | 2nd |
| 2021 | Olympic Games | Tokyo (JPN) | 3rd |
| 2019 | FIBA Women's Eurobasket | Riga (LAT) and Belgrade (SRB) | 2nd |
| 2018 | FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup | Tenerife (ESP) | 5th |
| 2017 | FIBA Women's Eurobasket | Prague (CZE) | 2nd |
| 2016 | Olympic Games | Rio (BRA) | 4th |
| 2015 | FIBA Women's Eurobasket | Budapest (HUN) and Oradea (ROM) | 2nd |
| 2014 | FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup | Istanbul (TUR) | 7th |
The poll
FIBA
