Power ranking the 2021 Olympics women’s basketball teams: Can anyone stop Team USA?

10. Women’s Olympic basketball power rankings: Japan

The host country of Japan takes the tenth spot in these power rankings. They already qualified for the Olympics as the host country, and they played pretty well during the 2020 FIBA qualifying tournament, finishing in third place. The squad has three players who averaged 12 or more points per game during qualifiers, so they have multiple scoring options to utilize.

Saki Hayashi led the team with 15 points per game average during FIBA qualifiers. Japan hasn’t medaled in women’s basketball in the Olympics, and their best finish came in 1976 when they came in sixth. Even though they have three players who average double digits, the lacking supporting cast could hurt the hosting country as they progress in the tournament.

9. Women’s Olympic basketball power rankings: China

China is coming into the Tokyo Olympics on a roll. They swept their group in the FIBA qualifying tournament to claim their spot in Tokyo. Led by Xu Han, a player for the WNBA’s New York Liberty, China hopes to claim gold for the first time. Li Meng also was a key contributor for the squad during qualifiers, winning the most valuable player during the tournament.

The Chinese women’s team has made the Olympics nine of the eleven years it has held. Although they are regulars, they haven’t won gold, only winning silver in 1992. They enter Tokyo on a roll, but the teams in front of them are just simply that much better, which is why China ends up at the ninth spot entering the Olympics.