Where is the 2022 FIBA Women's World Cup?

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The FIFA World Cup is one of the most exciting tournaments for soccer fans to watch, and they’re heading to Qatar in just a few months. But what if basketball fans got a similar experience?

Oh wait, they do! On Thursday, Sept. 22, the basketball World Cup for women, otherwise known as the FIBA Women’s World Cup will be taking place. During the quadrennial tournament, teams play 38 games across 10 days to crown a champion.

Will the United States, who are three-time defending champions, repeat their win from 2018 and gain an 11th title? Or will we see a new country crowned champion this year?

Let’s take a look at some details before the first shots go up in September:

Where is the 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup?

The 2022 FIBA World Cup will be held in Syndney, Australia, beginning on Thursday, Sept. 22 and running until Saturday, Oct. 1.

The 10-day competition will be held in Sydney Olympic Park, which features the Sydney SuperDome and Sydney Olympic Sports Park Centre.

How many teams are participating in the 2022 FIBA World Cup?

Twelve nations compete in the women’s basketball tournament.

These nations include:

1. United States – World No. 1

2. Australia – World No. 3

3. Canada – World No. 4

4. Belgium – World No. 5

5. France – World No. 6

6. China – World No. 7

7. Japan – World No. 8

8. Serbia – World No. 10

9. South Korea – World No. 13

10. Puerto Rico – World No. 17

11. Bosnia and Herzegovina – World No. 26

12. Mali – World No. 37

From there, the 12 teams are also split into two pots, Group A and Group B. Here are the groups:

Group A

  • Belgium
  • China
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Puerto Rico
  • South Korea
  • United States

Group B

  • France
  • Serbia
  • Japan 
  • Mali
  • Canada
  • Australia

Will Russia be able to participate in the tournament?

Russia will not be participating in the 2022 FIBA World Cup. On March 1, 2022, FIBA announced that Russia was expelled from this year’s Cup because of the country’s invasion of Ukraine, which is ranked World No. 27.

On March 18, 2022, Puerto Rico, currently ranked World No. 17, was chosen as Russia’s replacement.

Has Australia ever hosted the FIBA World Cup before?

Yes, Australia has hosted the FIBA World Cup before, but the last time they did so was 28 years ago in 1994. That is the only other time Australia hosted.

Here are the hosts since the inaugural competition began in 1953:

  • 1953 – Chile
  • 1957 – Brazil
  • 1959 – Soviet Union
  • 1964 – Peru
  • 1967 – Czechoslovakia
  • 1971 – Brazil
  • 1975 – Colombia
  • 1979 – South Korea
  • 1983 – Brazil
  • 1986 – Soviet Union
  • 1990 – Malaysia 
  • 1994 – Australia
  • 1998 – Germany
  • 2002 - China
  • 2006 – Brazil
  • 2010 – Czech Republic
  • 2014 – Turkey
  • 2018 – Spain
  • 2022 – Australia

What countries bid to host the tournament?

Only two countries placed a bid to host the 2022 FIBA World Cup – Australia and Russia. The decision for Australia to take the reins was made on March 26, 2020.

Who was the first host of the FIBA World Cup?

The first country to host the FIBA Women’s World Cup was Chile in 1953.

The United States beat the host nation to be crowned the inaugural winner of the tournament – beginning their streak, which eventually led to their tenth title in 2018.

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