There are plenty of extremely talented teams playing in the FIBA World Cup this year, but most eyes have been trained on two: Team USA and the French national team. For many — perhaps even the players themselves — the tournament has been seen as a sort of litmus test. France narrowly lost to the Americans at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, and the two teams are stacked with talent.
In fact, that talent will be one of the biggest contributors to the drama that is likely to unfold if and when these two teams meet this year. But talent isn't the most formidable thing France is bringing to the table — and that's saying something.
The American national team is clearly made up of some of the best basketball players in the world. It's not something that is worth even trying to pretend to deny. The team is anchored by veterans Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, and Kahleah Copper, and they have been joined by Aliyah Boston, Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Sonia Citron, and Kiki Iriaifen. All 12 members of the roster scored during their first game, and the team has won each of the games they've played since (though they just barely skated past Italy).
The French also have a lot of WNBA players on the team's roster this year, including Gabby Williams, Carla Leite, Pauline Astier, Marine Johannes, Migna Toure, Leila Lacan, Janelle Salaun, and Dominique Malonga. But more than that, they have the kind of chemistry that is built over years of playing together and trusting one another, and it's that chemistry that could be the undoing of Team USA.
Despite the fact that the members of the French national team play for teams spread out all the world, they've also all been playing together since they were young. The French system is different than the American one, and France is a much smaller country. As a result, players are often working, training, and playing for the same programs and schools, and generations of the national team begin playing together long before a tournament like the FIBA World Cup.
The Americans, on the other hand, may encounter one another at Team USA junior-level events, but they aren't spending months on end in one another's orbit. They also play for high schools and collleges throughout the 50 states, and the national team comes together for events such as this. Talent is one thing — and it's a crucial part of success — but chemistry could be what makes the difference this year.
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