Japan lay out roster for Zaragoza

TOKYO (2016 FIBA U17 Women's World Championship) - It's straight down to business for Japan ahead of the action in Zaragoza next month after they confirmed the 12 players who will step out at the fourth edition of the FIBA U17 Women's World Championship.

Heading the list are Izumi Abe and Itsuki Hashiguchi who led their team to the Final at last year's FIBA Asia U16 Women's Championship, where they were overpowered by eventual champions and fierce rivals China.

However it wasn't from the want of trying on the part of Abe, who exploded for a magnificent 31 points in the title game. The guard underlined why she was one of the most talked about players at the tournament and will once again make some serious noise for her team after averaging more than 11 points per game and also dishing up 3.4 assists in Medan, Indonesia last summer.

Hashiguchi is set to carry the load in the paint again after top scoring last year with some clinical finishing at the hoop and also completing some really good work on the glass.

Head coach Shinichiro Hayashi will also be thankful for the return of the reliable Haruki Takahara, who played more minutes than anyone else in Medan. Not least, because Japan have made a number of sweeping roster changes.

Indeed only half of the team who competed at the 2015 FIBA Asia U16 Women’s Championship are back on board.

Japan head to the FIBA U17 Women's World Championship looking to continue a proud ever present record, which has also delivered a Quarter-Final appearance at each edition.

This time around, Japan will compete against Canada, Latvia and Nigeria in Group A as they look to advance from the opening phase of the competition.

Japan roster for 2016 FIBA U17 Women's World Championship: Izumi Abe, Mayuko Fujinaga, Itsuki Hashiguchi, Hotaru Kabashima, Rui Mima, Manaka Nasu, Monica Okoye, Ririka Okuyama, Tae Suda, Haruki Takahara, Layla Takehara, Mai Yamamoto.

FIBA