FIBA wishes for 2024

11 months ago 36

Will Diana Taurasi win a sixth gold medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris? | Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images On the international basketball front, were mostly wishcasting what will happen at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris....

United States v Tennessee Will Diana Taurasi win a sixth gold medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris? | Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images

On the international basketball front, were mostly wishcasting what will happen at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Will the Canadians medal? Could Caitlin Clark be on Team USA? Will Edwin Garcia be there to see it all happen?

The Olympic Games in Paris highlight the 2024 international basketball calendar. What do we hope to see happen there? And how can what happens in Paris and beyond contribute to a stronger womens basketball world?

Here are our FIBA wishes:


More coverage of other national teams and leagues

Basketball is an international game and its growing every year. Thats why FIBA exists. And while its easy for Americans to contently sit in our own little bubble of spoils, theres great basketball being played all over the world, and its a lot of fun to follow other leagues and national teams. The WNBA recently announced a partnership with the Australian WNBL to bring those games to WNBA League Pass, which is a terrific step towards globalizing our game. Considering how many WNBA players are either playing overseas every winter or compete for their respective national teams during FIBA competitions, I believe theres plenty of room for similar partnerships in the near future. Eric Nemchock

WNBL Rd 8 - Sydney Flames v Bendigo Spirit Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images Didi Richards is one of a number current and former WNBA players playing in the WNBL. You can now watch Richards and the Sydney Flamesand all WNBL gameson the WNBA App.

More parity and access for girls worldwide

The mens basketball world has globalized significantly in recent years, and the days of American dominance are behind us. Would it be strange for an American to hope the same thing happens on the womens side? The US women have won gold in six of the last seven FIBA Womens Basketball World Cup, and have won the last four gold medal games by double digits.

My hope is that young girls from around the world will have access to quality basketball training and facilities, and that, as a result, a new generation of international talent will rise. Hopefully, that growth does not only take place in the worlds wealthier countries. Its critical this growth reaches countries in all corners of the globe, particularly where womens access to sports has been limited in the past. This past year, we saw the South Sudan mens basketball team qualify for the Olympics for the first time, and I hope that similar milestones happen on the womens side soon. Noa Dalzell

 2022 FIBA Womens Basketball World Cup - Final - USA at China Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports When will Team USA no longer celebrate dominant gold-medal game victories?

Canada makes the Paris podium

Team Canada is on the rise in both mens and womens basketball. The mens team just made history by winning bronze at the FIBA World Cup, and now the women will compete for an Olympic berth in February.

The Canadian senior womens team finished fourth at the 2023 FIBA Womens World Cup and are looking for a spot on the podium in Paris. That World Cup team was the first time Kia Nurse had suited up following her recovery from ACL surgery, and the team has only had time to improve in the last year. With talent like Nurse, Bridget Carleton, Laeticia Amihere, Aaliyah Edwards, Sami Hill, Kayla Alexander, Shay Colley and more ready to suit up in the red and white next year, Canada is ready to make a splash in international basketball. Chelsea Leite

 Will we find Canada on the podium in Paris in 2024?

Providing the best coverage possible

Can I make it to Paris to cover the Olympics?

Thats the question I ask myself when I think about my role in basketball. My overall goal is to cover the sport to the best of my ability and to fight for access and opportunities to get that done. Sometimes, that means working for hours to get minutes with a player. Other times, it means traveling far and wide to go where the game is and provide the best perspective for the thousands of fans who want to know whats happening.

Id love to travel to Paris and be there to document everything about Team USA for both the womens and mens teams. If I could be there in person and give that perspective to our readers, I could write some special features for the basketball world this summer. If its not in the cards, Ill still do my best coverage from the States. Edwin Garcia

The Olympic Games-Tokyo 2020 Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images Will Edwin see Aja Wilson, Brittney Griner and Team USA claim an eighth-straight gold medal in person?

Caitlin Clark on Team USA

Determining which American stars with impressive WNBA resumes deserve one of the 12 spots on Team USA is complicated enough. Lets make it more complicated by adding Caitlin Clark to the mix.

At Iowa, despite by being the first, second and third (and fourth and fifth) priority on opponents scouting reports, Clark still cooks, draining 3s, driving to the rim and diming teammates. Now, imagine her surrounded by A-plus talent. While we anticipate such a scenario with the Indiana Fever during the 2024 WNBA season, the 2024 US Olympic Team would represent another level. Give me a stack pick and roll with Clark as the ball handler and Breanna Stewart and Aja Wilson as the screeners. Stewie pops behind the 3-point line and Aja rolls to rim, while Jewell Loyd spaces in a corner and Chelsea Gray waits on the wing. Pick your poison, Olympic opponents! Clark is blessed with options, made all the more enticing because of the threat of her pull-up 3.

Barring catastrophe, Team USA will win an eighth-straight gold medal. So, lets send the most fun squad possible to Paris. That means putting Caitlin Clark in red, white and blue. Cat Ariail

 MAY 25 USA Basketball Womens U17 World Cup Team Trials Photo by Marc Piscotty/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Caitlin Clark, pictured at the tryouts for the 2018 USA Basketball Womens U17 World Cup Team.


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