Germany Women’s Basketball vs France Preview: Will France Benefit as a Third Party? Doubts Over Two Key WNBA Stars’ Participation for Germany

On the morning of August 8, in the quarterfinals of the Olympic women’s basketball elimination round, the French women’s team will face off against the German women’s team.

The French women’s team was in Group B, finishing first in the group with two wins and one loss after three preliminary matches. The German women’s team was in the so-called “Group of Death,” Group C, and also achieved a record of two wins and one loss but only managed to secure second place in their group.

In their last preliminary match, the French women’s team lost 72-79 to Australia. Only Williams scored in double figures with 15 points for the team, while Badiane, Ayayi, and Johannes each contributed nine points.

Over the three preliminary matches, two players from the French women’s team averaged double-digit scores. Williams led the team with an average of 13.7 points per game, followed by Johannes with 10.3 points per game, Badiane with 9.3 points per game, and Ayayi with 7.7 points per game.

In their final preliminary match, the German women’s team lost 68-87 to the United States. Three players scored in double figures for the team: Satou Sabally with 15 points, Petersen with 14 points, and Piebisch with 10 points. Gesselsodt contributed nine points.

Over the three preliminary matches, three players from the German women’s team averaged double-digit scores. Satou Sabally led the team with an average of 21.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. Petersen averaged 13.3 points and 5.7 assists per game, while Piebisch averaged 10.7 points. Gesselsodt averaged 8.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

The German women’s team faced the French women’s team once during the 2023 Women’s EuroBasket, with France winning 58-50 at that time.

In general, the overall strength of the German women’s team is roughly equal to that of the French women’s team. Although it is Germany’s first participation in the Olympics, they have performed impressively, including consecutive victories over Belgium and Japan, both top-10 ranked teams in the world, at the start of the tournament.

However, the German women’s team has had to deal with some injury issues. They have three current WNBA players on their roster, but Niara Sabally was injured by Piebisch in the first preliminary match and missed the subsequent two games.

In the final preliminary match, Piebisch suffered a knee injury after losing her balance following a collision with an opponent. If these two WNBA stars are unable to play, it would significantly impact the German women’s team’s strength, giving the French women’s team, who have home advantage, a greater chance of victory.

Germany Women’s Team Roster (12 Players): Petersen, Wilke, Hartmann, Piebisch, Buchena, Beschorner, Santag, Sabally, Bell, Sabally, Gesselsodt

France Women’s Team Roster (12 Players): Ayayi, Badiane, Bonnet, Cheriet, Fauth, Johannes, Lacan, Malonga, Boury, Rupert, Sarron, Williams

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