Continental titles lift Serbia and Canada in FIBA World Ranking Women

MIES (FIBA World Ranking Women) - Serbia are the biggest climbers in the top 20 of the FIBA World Ranking Women following the 2015 Continental Championships.

EuroBasket Women winners for the first time, a Serbia side that got terrific performances from Ana Dabovic and Sonja Petrovic and beat France in the Final, 76-68, have risen three places to No. 14.

The biggest jumps in the top 50 have been made by AfroBasket Women runners-up Cameroon and the Philippines.

The former has risen eight places and cracked the top 40 at No. 39 while the Philippines, by virtue of their seventh place finish at the FIBA Asia Women's Championship, have climbed nine spots to No. 49.

At the top of the ladder, the United States, Australia, Spain and France remained in the top four positions.

The USA, by winning the 2014 FIBA Women's World Championship, qualified for the 2016 Olympics and therefore passed on the opportunity to play in the FIBA Americas Women's Championship this summer in Edmonton, Canada.

Australia beat New Zealand in the FIBA Oceania Women's Championship to strengthen their grip on the No. 2 spot in the ranking.

Spain stayed in third, despite falling to France, 63-58, in the Semi-Finals of the EuroBasket Women.

The Spaniards finished third at the tournament staged in Hungary and Romania while France were runners-up.

Another team that had some bright moments at the EuroBasket Women but missed out on the Quarter-Finals was the Czech Republic.

They have leapfrogged Russia into the No. 5 position, with the Russians falling to No. 6. Their narrow defeat to Turkey in the fifth/sixth place game at the EuroBasket Women cost Russia a spot in next year's FIBA Olympic Women's Qualifying Tournament.

Canada maintained their positive momentum by capturing the title at the FIBA Americas Women's Championship in Edmonton to climb inside the top 10 at No. 9.

The Lisa Thomaidis-coached team defeated Cuba in the title game, 82-66.

Turkey are joint 10th with Belarus in the FIBA Ranking Women.

Japan successfully defended their FIBA Asia Women's Championship crown and qualified for next year's Olympics but slipped a place to No. 16.

The ranking is calculated within the scope of a two Olympic Games cycle (including qualifying competitions at FIBA Zone level).

Click here to view the full FIBA World Ranking Women.

FIBA