Wednesday, August 21
Lebanon Vs Great Britain 5 PM
Rwanda Vs Argentina 8 PM
The women’s national basketball team will, on Wednesday, August 21, take on Argentina in the second game of Group D of the ongoing pre-qualifiers of the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup.
Scheduled for 8 PM at BK Arena in Kigali, the game will see Rwanda entering as the underdogs, at least on paper. The team currently ranks 74th in the world, compared to Argentina’s 31st-place ranking.
Rwanda was placed in Group D alongside Argentina, Great Britain and Lebanon. The team won its first game of the pre-qualifiers on Monday, August 19, beating Lebanon 80-62.
Though Argentina comes into the pre-qualifiers on the backdrop of a number of poor results, the game against Rwanda is not expected to be an easy one.
Argentina's recent results are anything but impressive. Except for their second-place finish in the 2022 FIBA South America Women's Championship held on home soil, 'Las Gigantes' are experiencing some tough times in terms of results.
A 1-4 record at FIBA Women's Americup 2023; a poor track record against non-South American teams and the absence of forward Andrea Boquete could make things really tough for Argentina in Kigali, according to FIBA media.
The Argentines are chasing their first World Cup appearance since 2018 when they returned home empty-handed in three Group Phase games, in a tournament held in Tenerife, Spain.
One of the players to watch for Argentina is Melisa Gretter, 31, an experienced and talented point guard who has played for the team for a number of years.
Since her debut with the senior team at FIBA Americas Championship for Women 2011, Gretter has become one of the faces - alongside Andrea Boquete who is unavailable for the Kigali showpiece - of the South American side.
On the side of Rwanda, Cheikh Sarr will count on the services of experienced players like Keisha Hampton, a 34-year-old who had a brief WNBA career with Minnesota Lynx and Chicago Sky.
US-based Center Bella Murekatete is also expected to come in handy for Rwanda. During the game Vs Lebanon on Monday, she starred with a game-high 24 points and seven rebounds.
Kigali is hosting both Group C and D pre-qualifiers. Group C comprises Hungary, Senegal, Brazil and the Philippines.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, with the winner of each group securing a place in the main qualifying tournament that will take place in March 2026.