France Basketball announce preliminary national team rosters for Paris 2024
Team France today (16 May) announced the preliminary men's and women's basketball teams for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Marine Johannès is among the standout names of the 18-member women's roster, while the men's group of 19 players is headlined by NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama and four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.
Victor Wembanyama primed for Olympic debut at Paris 2024
After an exceptional debut season in the NBA that saw him become the first French player to win the NBA Rookie of the Year, Wembanyama will soon be able to add the title of 'Olympian' to his growing list of accolades.
The 20-year-old, who has already represented France at the junior level (winning silver at the FIBA U16 European Championship and FIBA U19 World Cup) as well as in the qualifiers for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, expressed his commitment to the national team back in January, and will likely be a part of the eventual 12-man group that will represent the host nation of the Olympics later this year.
Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs receives a pass against Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Rudy Gobert provides veteran leadership for Les Bleus
Barring injury or another unforeseen setback, Wembanyama will be joined at the Games by Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Rudy Gobert. The 7'1 center, who has won four other international medals with France (two bronze medals at the World Cup, and a silver and bronze at EuroBasket), is currently competing in the NBA playoffs for the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Denver Nuggets and Nikola Jokic.
Gobert, who won his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award this season, will form arguably the most intimidating defensive partnership at the Olympics alongside Wembanyama.
*As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.
Vincent Collet explains decisions behind men's list
France men's coach Vincent Collet, who also coached Wembanyama when the phenom played for Metropolitans 92 in France, explained his reasoning behind the 18-player men's list.
“The uncertainty of the choices made me lengthen this list a little bit and we also have restrictions," he told Olympics.com "NBA players won’t be able to start before 28 days ahead of the start of the competition. This longer list will allow us to work despite the situation.”
Marine Johannès, Gabby Williams lead Les Braqueuses
France's women's team, nicknamed Les Braqueuses (The Robbers) after their unexpected triumph at the 2009 EuroBasket, returned to the Olympic podium at Tokyo 2020 in 2021, winning bronze (France's second medal in the competition after winning silver at London 2012).
A major reason for their recent success at the Olympics and European Championships (France have won five consecutive silver medals at EuroBasket) has been thanks to the duo of Marine Johannès and Gabby Williams. Both women play for ASVEL Féminin in the French professional women's league, winning the EuroLeague and EuroCup in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Johannès also currently plays for the New York Liberty of the WNBA.
Williams has also represented the Chicago Sky and Seattle Storm of the WNBA, and was named to the WNBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2022.
Marine Johannes #23 of Team France and teammates Gabrielle Williams #15, Sandrine Gruda #7, and Alix Duchet #39.
France women's preliminary basketball roster for Paris 2024
- Marine Fauthoux
- Romane Bernies
- Leïla Lacan
- Carla Leite
- Marie Pardon
- Pauline Astier
- Valériane Ayayi
- Marie-Paule Foppossi
- Marine Johannès
- Sarah Michel Boury
- Janelle Salaün
- Mamignan Touré
- Gabby Williams
- Marième Badiane
- Alexia Chery
- Dominique Malonga
- Iliana Rupert
- Ana Tadic
France men's preliminary basketball roster for Paris 2024
- Andrew Albicy
- Killian Hayes
- Théo Maledon
- Frank Ntilikina
- Matthew Strazel
- Nicolas Batum
- Isaïa Cordinier
- Bilal Coulibaly
- Nando De Colo
- Ousmane Dieng
- Evan Fournier
- Nadir Hifi
- Elie Okobo
- Rudy Gobert
- Jaylen Hoard
- Mathias Lessort
- Vincent Poirier
- Victor Wembanyama
- Guerschon Yabusele