Liberty guards Marine Johannes and Pauline Astier are both looking forward to the opportunity to represent France during the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup tournament.
The pair got their wishes granted after receiving a phone call from the federation last Sunday.
“Yeah, we’re really happy,” said Johannes, who helped the national team achieve a silver medal during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. “It was kind of like stressful the last few days actually because we knew that they were going to call us on Sunday, so we were talking about it a little bit more. But yeah, really excited, really happy.”
For Astier, the World Cup — set to take place in Berlin from Sept. 4-13 — call-up will be her first major international tournament with the national team.
Johannes has much more experience at major tourneys to go along with her Paris medal — three silver medals in the past three Eurobasket competitions and a Bronze medal in the 2020 Tokyo Games.
“We’re gonna be there. We have one scrimmage also, so we’re just gonna practice — like join the team — and yeah, be ready for the beginning of the competition,” said Astier, who will join the team headlined by stars Gabby Williams (Golden State Valkyries) and Dominique Malonga (Seattle Storm).
The Liberty Frenchies are set to leave for Berlin on Sunday, a day after Saturday’s home matchup against the Chicago Sky.
Marine Fauthoux, however, is the lone Liberty Frenchie to not make the squad.
After hoping to make the team, Fauthoux didn’t receive the joyous phone calls her peers did from the French head coach and general manager last weekend.
“I don’t know,” she said when asked what her reaction was after not making the team. “I’m not on the roster. I will cheer for my team.”
Fauthoux said she didn’t receive a reason why she didn’t make the cut. She added she’ll be spending the FIBA break at home while WNBA play is suspended.
Fauthoux was a member of the national teams that medaled in the previous two Olympic Games. She also participated in the 2019 and 2023 Eurobasket tournaments.
She won’t get the opportunity to avenge the heartbreaking one-point loss in the gold-medal matchup against Team USA in the Paris Olympic Games.
The Liberty players participating in the World Cup — USA’s Breanna Stewart and Germany’s Leonie Fiebich — are not scheduled to face-off in the Group Stage. But it’s possible for the Liberty teammates to play against each other as opponents if their respective nations match up in the knockout rounds.
“Not really. I’m not like this,” Astier said if she will trash talk her Liberty opponents. “My English is not that good to [be] trash talking, so I’m not doing this. But yeah, it’s gonna be fun to play against all of the teams because we’re gonna play against each other for sure.”