Liberty guards Marine Johannes and Pauline Astier are both looking forward to the opportunity to represent France during the 2026 FIBA Women\u2019s World Cup tournament.<\/p>\n
The pair got their wishes granted after receiving a phone call from the federation last Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, we\u2019re really happy,\u201d said Johannes, who helped the national team achieve a silver medal during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. \u201cIt 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Astier, the World Cup \u2014 set to take place in Berlin from Sept. 4-13 \u2014 call-up will be her first major international tournament with the national team.<\/p>\n
Johannes has much more experience at major tourneys to go along with her Paris medal \u2014 three silver medals in the past three Eurobasket competitions and a Bronze medal in the 2020 Tokyo Games.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re gonna be there. We have one scrimmage also, so we\u2019re just gonna practice \u2014 like join the team \u2014 and yeah, be ready for the beginning of the competition,\u201d said Astier, who will join the team headlined by stars Gabby Williams (Golden State Valkyries) and Dominique Malonga (Seattle Storm).<\/p>\n
The Liberty Frenchies are set to leave for Berlin on Sunday, a day after Saturday\u2019s home matchup against the Chicago Sky.<\/p>\n
Marine Fauthoux, however, is the lone Liberty Frenchie to not make the squad.<\/p>\n
After hoping to make the team, Fauthoux didn\u2019t receive the joyous phone calls her peers did from the French head coach and general manager last weekend.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d she said when asked what her reaction was after not making the team. \u201cI\u2019m not on the roster. I will cheer for my team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fauthoux said she didn\u2019t receive a reason why she didn\u2019t make the cut. She added she\u2019ll be spending the FIBA break at home while WNBA play is suspended.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
She won\u2019t get the opportunity to avenge the heartbreaking one-point loss in the gold-medal matchup against Team USA in the Paris Olympic Games<\/a>.<\/p>\n