5. Jewell Loyd - USA (2012)
Appearing at the first ever edition in 2010 in France, it was to prove the only FIBA youth tournament that the guard would feature in during her young career. In that competition she was a solid member of the gold medal winning team and she would progress to win many more of those at the senior level - including a FIBA 3x3 World title in 2014.
Loyd broke through at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2018 in Tenerife, prior to making it two golds at the Worlds with success in 2022 in Sydney. Wedged in between, she posted an Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 and is now on the roster for Paris 2024. Her influence is really now increasing a lot, evidenced by her double-digit return in Antwerp at the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024. She's becoming a real leader for USA.
4. Xu Han - China (2016)
Featuring for China in 2018, the striking physical presence and height of Han immediately caught the eye as her tremendous performances helped China make the Semi-Finals as she made the All-Star Five. She was soon back on Spanish soil for the senior team at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Tenerife.
She has since played at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and just loves the city of Sydney. She firstly helped China reach the Final of the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022 and was then MVP as they won the FIBA Women's Asia Cup 2023 in the same location. Not just one of the biggest stars of Asian basketball, she has now turned heads around the world - also getting drafted and balling in the WNBA.
3. Ezi Magbegor - Australia (2016)
The centerpiece of the Sapphires historic and amazing 2016 title success in Zaragoza, Magbegor gathered more than 12 points and 8 rebounds per game – as well as some huge blocks and defensive plays that resulted in MVP Honors. Two years later and she was on the Opals senior team that made the Final of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2018.
The center was then Australia’s best player at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and highly influential at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 in Sydney when the Opals won bronze on home soil. The MVP of the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 in Belem, Brazil, she is ready to excel in Paris. Magbegor has been doing incredible things in both EuroLeague Women and the WNBA, making her one of the best frontcourt players around.
2. Emma Meesseman - Belgium (2010)
A bonafide legend of Belgian and European basketball ahead of time, few players have been as influential and as important for a national team than what Meesseman has done for the Cats over the years. The forward averaged 14.4 points and 9.6 boards for Belgium in 2010, just missing out on the podium. This came a year after historic U16 gold and several years before eventual senior record-breaking success would be delivered. A tour de force of many historical firsts, Meesseman inspired a first FIBA Women's EuroBasket medal in 2017, a first FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup outing in 2018 and a maiden Olympics appearance at Tokyo 2020. She was then MVP of FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2023 when the Cats won their first ever title. With club titles both sides of The Pond in EuroLeague Women and the WNBA, plus a stack of individual honors, she really is one of the very best.
1. Breanna Stewart - USA (2010)
Considered by most as the best player on the planet, Stewart's first steps on the global stage came in 2010 when taking USA to inaugural gold. She was second for USA in both scoring and rebounding and it came before landing two gold medals at the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup. At senior level, Stewart is already a two-time Olympic champion and three-time FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup winner - taking MVP honors in 2018. 'Stewie' has done it all on both sides of the Atlantic, winning WNBA MVP, WNBA Final MVP and Championship titles. Meanwhile she has done the same in Euroleague Women with Final Four MVP honors and titles with UMMC and Fenerbahce. As it stands, she is still firmly in the conversation when it comes to discussing who is the women's basketball GOAT.
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