SYDNEY – Ten-time champions the United States were pitted alongside Belgium and China but avoided hosts Australia at the draw for the women’s basketball World Cup, which will be played without Russia.
The world number one, who swept past Japan to win a seventh straight Olympic crown in August, will also meet Bosnia and Herzegovina and South Korea during the group phase in Sydney from September 22.
One more team, to be selected by governing body FIBA, will complete group A, replacing Russia which was axed this week following the invasion of Ukraine.
Third-ranked Australia, one of only two teams other than the USA or the former Soviet Union to win the World Cup, have a much tougher task in group B.
They were drawn with Japan, Tokyo Olympics bronze medallists France, fourth-ranked Canada, Serbia and Nigeria.
The top four teams from each group will progress to the quarter-finals with the 10-day tournament culminating on October 1.
Group A – Belgium, China, Bosnia and Herzegovina, TBD, South Korea, United States
Group B – France, Serbia, Japan, Nigeria, Canada, Australia
Russia has been banned from competing in any international basketball competitions and removed from the draw for the 12-team World Cup being held in Sydney in September.
“FIBA remains very concerned by the recent events in Ukraine and expresses its deepest sympathies to the victims,” Basketball’s governing body FIBA said in a statement.
“In line with the International Olympic Committee executive board resolution and its reasons, FIBA announced that Russian teams and officials will not be allowed to participate in FIBA Basketball competitions until further notice.
“FIBA will communicate any further decisions taken by the central board at its meeting on March 25 as well as by FIBA’s European Zone bodies in the next coming days.
“FIBA strongly condemns violence and hopes peace will urgently prevail.”
The World Cup is being held in Australia in September and the Russian replacement will come from the Washington/Santo Domingo qualifying tournament.
