Women's National Team Competition System

The Women's National Team Competition system, updated in 2022, sets out the road to all of FIBA's main women's competitions over four-year cycles, including the Women's Olympic Basketball Tournament, the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup and FIBA's Women's Continental Cups.

In 2022 FIBA's Executive Committee approved the implementation of a new competition that will act as pre-qualifiers to the next World Cup or the next Olympic Games. The 16 best-placed teams, four from each region, that did not qualify for the FIBA Women's World Cup or the Olympic Games, respectively, will participate in the event to be played every two years starting in August 2024. The winner of this competition will directly qualify for the next Qualification Tournament, either for the World Cup or Olympic Games.

Key Changes

Olympic Games Qualification

Olympic Games qualification for Paris 2024 will take place through a Pre-Qualifying Tournament played in the Americas prior to the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournaments in 2024. The 3 best teams from the Olympic Qualifying tournaments, including the host (France*) and the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 winner (USA), will qualify. A total of 12 teams will play at the Olympics.

Olympic Games qualification for Los Angeles 2028 will also take place through Pre-Qualifying Tournaments. The winner will qualify for the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournaments. The 3 best teams of each tournament, including the host (USA*) and the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 winner (TBC), will qualify. A total of 12 teams will play at the Olympics. For more details, click here.

*subject to FIBA Central Board decision

FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Qualification

Two FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Pre-Qualifying Tournaments will take place in August 2024. The winners of each tournament will qualify for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournaments in 2026.

The FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournaments will take place in March 2026, with a total of 24 teams, including the two winners of the FIBA Women's World Cup Pre-Qualifying Tournaments, to participate. Teams will secure berths in the qualifying tournaments directly via their respective FIBA Women's Continental Cups 2025. The host(s) and the winners of each Women's Continental Cup 2025 will participate in these qualifiers; however, they do receive automatic qualification for the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026. For more details, click here.