The Bleues of 2022 will not imitate those of 1953, the last to have reached the semi-finals of the competition (and brought back the only French medal, the bronze). The French women’s basketball team failed for the sixth time in a row to reach the last four of the World Cup on Thursday after their defeat against China in the quarter-finals (85-71). The players of coach Jean-Aimé Toupane can probably regret, more than this defeat, the one conceded the day before against Serbia (68-62).
Already rolled by the Chinese last February
While a success would have offered them a more affordable quarter-final (Belgium or Puerto Rico), this setback threw them into the mouth of the Chinese, who had beaten them in February in Belgrade during the World Cup qualifying tournament (103- 70). Certainly they avoided the American ogre but this China, collectively oiled, which combines speed at the back and size in the racket, outdoor and indoor play, hardness in defense and dexterity in attack, is not very very far of the three-time defending champion. Who inflicted his only defeat in hens (77-63).
The march was too high for this young French team deprived of its bronze medalists at the 2021 Olympics Sandrine Gruda, Endy Miyem, Alix Duchet, Olivia Epoupa, Valériane Vukosavljevic and even Marine Johannès, injured in the right calf three days before the start of the competition. The team hung on, even coming back from an 11-point deficit at the break (39-50) to come back to a short length four minutes from the end of the third quarter, with even possession to go ahead (56 -57) for the first time since the middle of the first quarter.
Little success on the French side
But Marine Fauthoux (19 pts, record points in selection) this time missed the target, like Gabby Williams (17 pts), shortly after, the equalizer shot (58-60). China scored six points to regain their distance at the end of the third quarter (66-58). The luck of the Blues had passed.
More than their marksmanship (44%), especially in the first three quarters, they can regret the low number of points scored in the racket, where the interiors, on the other hand, fought a good battle on the rebound (33 shots to 33 ) after being dominated in this sector throughout the competition. And for not having been able to limit China to less than 85 points, and in particular its shooters Li Meng (23 pts at 4/8 to 3 pts) and Huang Sijing (18 pts at 4/9 behind the arc).
Source: Europe1
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