Marine Johannès has become an important part of France’s push to challenge Team USA at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin. The New York Post has highlighted how the New York Liberty guard has helped inspire a stronger generation of French women’s basketball players. France came within one point of beating the US in the 2024 Olympic final, and now enters the World Cup with bigger hopes.
Marine Johannès and France prepare for another Team USA challenge
Johannès has already played on some of the biggest stages in women’s basketball. Her experience, shooting and ability to create plays make her one of the players France will rely on in Berlin.The 31-year-old guard was part of the French team that won the silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. France pushed Team USA all the way in the final before losing by just one point. That result showed that the gap between the two teams was much smaller than it had been in previous years.Now, France has another chance to face the Americans, with the World Cup beginning September 4. FIBA lists France among the 16 teams heading to Berlin, while Team USA will also be there as it looks to remain the team to beat.Johannès has also been part of a wider change in how French players approach opportunities in the WNBA. The New York Post reported that French players are now getting more freedom to combine their national-team careers with WNBA experience.That change matters because playing in the WNBA gives French players the chance to compete against some of the best talent in the world. Johannès has done exactly that with the Liberty, while also remaining an important player for France.
Gabby Williams and French WNBA talent strengthen France
Johannès is not the only French player bringing WNBA experience to the national team. Gabby Williams is another major name on the roster, giving France more experience against top American competition.The New York Post reported that eight French WNBA players are joining the national-team setup. That group shows how much the connection between French basketball and the WNBA has grown.FIBA’s roster information confirms both Johannès and Williams among France’s World Cup players. FIBA has also described Johannès as a key figure for the team and named her among its players to watch at the tournament.France’s recent results also give the team reason to believe it can compete with the best. At the 2026 World Cup qualifying tournament in Lyon-Villeurbanne, France went 5-0, with Johannès averaging 14.6 points and 4.6 assists per game.The challenge now is bigger. France wants to turn its Olympic near-miss into a stronger World Cup run, and Johannès will be one of the familiar faces leading that effort. With more French players gaining WNBA experience, the team is entering Berlin with a deeper connection to the level of basketball it hopes to beat.