The U.S. women's national team is short on practice time heading into a major competition where anything less than winning a gold medal is considered a failure. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
The Americans will have to jell quickly if they hope to win a fifth straight FIBA women's World Cup. The tournament begins Friday, when the U.S. plays China in one of eight games in Berlin.
The Americans already have had a couple of practices in Berlin, but the blend of new and veteran players is not yet fully cohesive. Head coach Doug Feinberg said the team needs to learn to play together fast.
Stars like Chelsea Gray, Breanna Stewart, and Kiki Iriafen have shown high level in practice. However, the short preparation time may hinder the refinement of tactical schemes.
One of the main rivals of the U.S. team is China, which is also well-prepared. Experts predict a tense game on the first day of the tournament.
The U.S. team's history is one of success at World Championships. They have won gold in the last four tournaments. And this time, high results are expected from them as well.
The competition in Berlin will bring together the strongest teams in the world. The U.S. team is expected to do everything to prove their skill.