PARIS (France) – The upcoming Women's Olympic Basketball Tournament Paris 2024 will see Japan looking to rekindle the spirt of Tokyo 2020 when they stormed their way to the Final on home soil.
That historic best ever finish of a silver medal may have given them a taste for more success at the Games and a repeat would certainly be welcomed in the French capital.
However, will being pitched into the 'Group of Death' sink Japan's podium bid before it truly builds any momentum?
The Roster
There’s a sense of strong familiarity with nine players from Tokyo 2020. But even of the three faces who weren't there, there is a lot to be excited about.
Mai Yamamoto is a new star and standout of the last 18 months, while Stephanie Mawuli brings much needed dynamism and athleticism.
Veteran guard Asami Yoshida is one of the most seasoned players to represent Japan, debiting 17 years ago and also balling at Rio 2016. Among the returnees, Rui Machida holds the joint Olympic record for most assists in a game and will make the side tick having missed the last few years of action. Alongside her, Saki Hayashi is a three-point menace and takes games away from Japan's rivals if she gets hot. Forward line Evelyn Mawuli, Himawari Akaho, Maki Takada, and Yuki Miyazawi are set to do their work inside the paint, although like all Japan players, love to knock down triples too.
The Question
Have Japan still got the stomach and mental strength for crunch time?
Since the epic highs of 2021 which included that unprecedented Olympic success and a fifth straight FIBA Women's Asia Cup title, they missed the Quarter-Finals of the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022 and relinquished their choke hold on Continental silverware last year.
They navigated some very difficult moments en-route to the second podium step in Tokyo, including when they edged a game for the ages and modern day classic in the Quarter-Finals against Belgium.
Things have not 'clicked' at major tournaments and they have not looked like the team that impressed so much at the last Games. There are going to be more testing moments from the get-go with this demanding group phase in front of them. They need to really fight and battle on the glass and relish the challenge to complement their great on-ball defense.
The Hope
The last major tournament that Rui Machida played was at Tokyo 2020 and you could argue that this Japan team has been a shadow of itself since her hiatus.
With the playmaker back on board, could re-finding this temporary missing piece of the jigsaw be the difference maker?
If Machida is able to play anywhere near the level when she equalled the all-time Olympic game assists record, then Japan could be set for a resurgence.
The Fear
Their entertaining and energetic transition style of play is such a joy to watch. When they're making shots from long-range, they can truly make it rain and can be unstoppable.
But if teams slow them down into a half-court game, will they figure out a 'Plan B' and be able to do the dirty work to get it done?
Their biggest fear will surely be any scenario where they just can't control the tempo and play that 'run and gun' basketball that is in their DNA.
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