The FIBA Women’s World Cup begins tomorrow!
The USA Basketball women’s national team plays Puerto Rico tonight! Here is the preview.
Gametime: Thursday, Sept. 22 9:30 p.m. ET (local time, it would be Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 11:30 a.m.)
Where: Sydney, Australia
How to watch: ESPN Plus
What’s in store: The Americans are coming off a bigger than expected 87-72 win over Belgium despite being short-handed. That said, the Americans made Emma Meesseman a non-factor, and the rest fell into place.
Puerto Rico was not expected to be one of the top teams in Group A, but had a big win yesterday over Bosnia and Herzegovina, who didn’t have Jonquel Jones due to travel from the WNBA Finals.
The Puerto Ricans have a roster with some recent WNBA players like Jennifer O’Neill and Arella Guirantes. They don’t have the star power like Belgium, but can pose a threat if the Americans let their guard down early after their big win against the Cats.
About Puerto Rico
- Capital: San Juan
- Population: 3.19 million
- National Anthem: La Borinqueña
- Why does Puerto Rico have its own national team though it is in the United States? The International Olympic Committee and FIBA can arbitrarily decide what a country is. Therefore, Puerto Rico has their own team.
- Official Languages: Spanish and English
- What is a popular song by Puerto Rican artists? There is no official chart for Puerto Rico. So since it’s part of the USA, the No. 2 song is “Me Porto Bonito” by Bad Bunny and Chencho Corelone.
Results from Day 1
- Puerto Rico 82. Bosnia and Herzegovina 58
- Canada 67, Serbia 60
- Japan 89, Mali 56
- China 107, Korea 44
- France 70, Australia 57
Other Day 2 games
All times are in ET. Keep in mind that ALL games are being played on Friday, Sept. 23 in Sydney time.
Thursday, Sept. 22
- 10 p.m.: Serbia vs. Japan
- 11 p.m.: Belgium vs. Korea
Friday, Sept. 23
- 12:30 a.m.: China vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
- 4 a.m.: France vs. Canada
- 6:30 a.m.: Australia vs. Mali