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Par Guillaume Kagni | Journaliste sportif
Over the years, the gap between the United States and France has narrowed considerably in terms of basketball. Our national teams are respected the world over, as evidenced by this statement from a WNBA superstar.
There’s no denying it: France is a world basketball powerhouse. Our national championships are in constant progression, a team like Paris Basket took the EuroLeague by storm this season with a unique style of play, and our young talent is increasingly sought after in the world’s two biggest leagues, the NBA and the WNBA.
Two years after Victor Wembanyama, who is already one of the best players on the planet, women’s basketball fans will be able to witness the debut of prodigy Dominique Malonga with Seattle. At just 19 years of age, she is one of the youngest players in the league, and is being touted by some experts as a potential GOAT.
Jewell Loyd shocked by the French team
While the emergence of the French gives fans a good reason to follow all the championships, it also benefits the French teams. Last summer, for example, our two groups walked away with silver medals at the Olympic Games, after tense finals against Team USA. Jewell Loyd was on the field, and she just explained her immense stress in the “Run Your Race” podcast.
The French girls have been strong for a while. In previous years, they were injured and had to get used to a new coach. But they’ve got Gabby Williams. I love this girl, she’s an incredible person. She’s an extraordinary athlete. I’ve seen her play on one leg and still hold on to the circle. She’s a phenomenon. During the final of the Games, I was sitting on the bench on the verge of collapsing.
We thought we could take the lead, but they put us on a 10-0 run. We just couldn’t get into it, and everything went against us. This girl can’t shoot, and she made 3 3-point baskets. Another one can’t dribble, so she was laying crosscourt. They countered our whole game plan. When the buzzer sounded, we ran into the locker room as if nothing had happened, as if Gabby hadn’t almost crucified us. The gap is closing for both girls and boys.
In the USA, it’s now impossible to look down on French basketball, as evidenced by this statement from WNBA superstar Jewell Loyd. Last summer in Paris, she thought that the final would elude Team USA, so exceptional were Jean-Aimé Toupane’s girls. But what if a true sporting rivalry was born between the two nations?
