2010 FIBA World Championship Teams: Basic Facts

- Updated on Nov. 24, 2009

Argentina
FIBA Ranking: 10th
How Argentina Qualified: Claimed the silver medal and finished with a 4-1 record at the 2009 FIBA Americas Championship.
All-Time World Championship Record: 17-33 (.340) in seven appearances.
Top Finish: 6th place in 1953
Last Time Out: In 2006 Argentina finished in 9th place with a 5-3 record.
USA vs. Argentina in World Championship Play: USA is up 3-0 in the series, but hasn't faced Argentina since 1971.

	Defending Olympic gold medalists USA and defending World Champion Australia, featuring Lauren Jackson (left) and Penny Taylor, should give fans in Karlovy Vary a great contest in the second round.

Australia
FIBA Ranking: 3rd
How Australia Qualified: Claimed the gold medal with a two-game sweep of New Zealand in the 2009 FIBA Oceania Championship.
All-Time World Championship Record: 53-58 (.582) in 12
appearances and has won a medal in each of the last three Worlds, including bronze medals in 1998 and 2002 and gold in 2006.
Top Finish: Champion in 2006.
Last Time Out: In 2006 Australia claimed the gold medal with a perfect 9-0 record.
USA vs. Australia in World Championship Play: USA is up 8-0 in the series and last faced the Opals in 2002, winning the
semifinal contest 71-56.

Belarus
FIBA Ranking: 16th
How Belarus Qualified: Finished with a 4-5 record and in fourth place at the 2009 European Championship.
All-Time World Championship Record: 2010 marks the first World Championship entry for Belarus. This follows on the heels of its first Olympic appearance under its own flag. In the 2008 Olympics Belarus finished sixth with a 2-4 mark.

Brazil
FIBA Ranking: 4th
How Brazil Qualified: Claimed the gold medal and finished with a 5-0 record at the 2009 FIBA Americas Championship.
All-Time World Championship Record: 32-29 (.525) in eight
appearances and medaled in 1971 (bronze) and 1994 (gold).
Top Finish: Champion in 1994.
Last Time Out: In 2006 Brazil hosted the World Championship and finished in 4th place with a 5-4 record.
USA vs. Brazil in World Championship Play: USA is up 6-3 in the series and last faced Brazil in 2006, winning the bronze medal contest 99-59.

Canada
FIBA Ranking: 12th
How Canada Qualified: Claimed the bronze medal and finished with a 3-2 record at the 2009 FIBA Americas Championship.
All-Time World Championship Record: 17-33 (.340) in seven appearances and medaled in 1979 (bronze) and 1986 (bronze).
Top Finish: 3rd place in 1979 and 1986.
Last Time Out: In 2006 Canada finished in 10th place with a 2-6 record.
USA vs. Canada in World Championship Play: USA is up 5-1 in the series and last faced Canada in 1994. The lone USA loss came in 1975 when Canada won 74-68.

China
FIBA Ranking: 7th
How China Qualified: Claimed the gold medal and finished with a 7-0 record at the 2009 FIBA Asia Championship.
All-Time World Championship Record:32-36 (.552) in seven appearances and medaled in 1983 (bronze) and 1994 (silver).
Top Finish: 2nd place in 1994.
Last Time Out: In 2006 China finished in 12th place with a 3-5 record.
USA vs. China in World Championship Play: USA is up 4-0 in the series and last defeated China 119-72 in 2006.

Czech Republic
FIBA Ranking: 6th
How Czech Republic Qualified: Gained an automatic berth as the host country. Finished in ninth place wtih a 2-4 mark at the 2009 European Championship.
All-Time World Championship Record: 5-4 (.556) in 2006,
50-22 (.694) overall when factoring in both Czech Republic and Czechoslovakia teams in eight appearances. Czechoslovakia claimed six medals in World Championship history: silver in 1964 and 1971; and bronze in 1957, 1959, 1967 and 1975.
Top Finish: 7th place in 2006 (CZE), 2nd place twice in 1964 and 1971 (CZK).
Last Time Out: In 2006 the Czech Republic finished in 7th place with a 5-4 record.
USA vs. Czech Republic in World Championship Play: USA is up 1-0 in the series, earning a 63-50 win in 2006. Overall, including both Czech Republic and Czechoslovakia, the USA owns a 5-3 slate.

France
FIBA Ranking: 8th
How Brazil Qualified: Claimed the gold medal and finished with a 9-0 record at the 2009 European Championship.
All-Time World Championship Record: 27-30 (.474) in seven
appearances and medaled in 1953 (bronze).
Top Finish: 3rd place in 1953.
Last Time Out: In 2006 France finished in 5th place with a 5-4 record.
USA vs. France in World Championship Play: USA is up 5-1 in the series and last faced France in 2006 when the U.S. won 76-41. France's lone victory came in 1971 with a 68-51 win.

Greece
FIBA Ranking: 18th
How Belarus Qualified: Finished with a 5-4 record and in fifth place at the 2009 European Championship.
All-Time World Championship Record: 2010 marks the first World Championship entry for Greece.

Japan
FIBA Ranking: 14th
How Brazil Qualified: Claimed the bronze medal and finished with a 4-3 record at the 2009 FIBA Asia Championship.
All-Time World Championship Record:32-29 (.525) in eight appearances and medaled in 1971 (bronze) and 1994 (gold).
Top Finish: Champion in 1994.
Last Time Out: In 2006 Brazil finished in 4th place with a 5-4 record.
USA vs. Brazil in World Championship Play: USA is up 6-3 in the series and last faced Brazil in 2006, winning the bronze medal contest 99-59.

Mali
FIBA Ranking: 23rd
How Mali Qualified: Claimed the silver medal and finished with a 6-2 record at the 2009 FIBA Africa Championship.
All-Time World Championship Record: 2010 marks the first World Championship entry for Mali.

Russia
FIBA Ranking: 2nd
How Russia Qualified: Claimed the silver medal and finished with a 7-2 record at the 2009 European Championship.
All-Time World Championship Record: 19-8 (.704) in three appearances under the Russian flag, 88-12 (.880) overall when
factoring in both Russia and USSR teams in 12 appearances. Russia has won the past three silver medals and the USSR claimed eight medals in World Championship history: gold in 1959, 1964, 1967, 1971, 1975 and 1983; and silver in 1957 and 1986.
Top Finish: 3rd place in 1998, 2002 and 2006 (RUS), champion six times (URS).
Last Time Out: In 2006 Russia took the silver medal with a 5-4 record.
USA vs. Russia in World Championship Play: USA is up 5-1 in the series, but dropped the last meeting, 75-68, in the 2006 semifinal game. Overall, including both Russia and the former USSR, the USA is up 7-5 on the series.

Senegal
FIBA Ranking: 22nd
How Senegal Qualified: Claimed the gold medal and finished with a perfect 8-0 record at the 2009 FIBA Africa Championship.
All-Time World Championship Record: 5-31 (.139) in six appearances.
Top Finish: 12th place (last) in 1979, 14th place (out of 16) in 1990 and 1998.
Last Time Out: In 2006 Senegal finished in 15th place with a 1-4 record.
USA vs. Senegal in World Championship Play: USA is up 3-0 in the series and last faced Senegal in 1998, claiming a 77-48 win.

South Korea
FIBA Ranking: 9th
How South Korea Qualified: Claimed the silver medal and finished with a 5-2 record at the 2009 FIBA Asia Championship.
All-Time World Championship Record: 52-46 (.531) in 13 appearances and medaled twice (both silvers) in 1967 and 1979.
Top Finish: 2nd place in 1967 and 1979.
Last Time Out: In 2006 South Korea finished in 15th place with a 2-3 record.
USA vs. South Korea in World Championship Play: USA is up 4-2 in the series and last faced South Korea in 2002, winning 91-53.

Spain
FIBA Ranking: 5th
How Spain Qualified: Claimed the bronze medal and finished with a 8-1 record at the 2009 European Championship.
All-Time World Championship Record: 18-17 (.514) in four appearances.
Top Finish: 5th place in 1998 and 2002.
Last Time Out: In 2006 Spain finished in 8th place with a 4-5 record.
USA vs. Spain in World Championship Play: USA is up 3-0 in the series and last faced Spain in 2002, claiming a 94-55 win.

United States
FIBA Ranking: 1st
How the United States Qualified: Earned an automatic berth by claiming the gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games.
All-Time World Championship Record: 88-21 (.807) in 14 appearances, earning a record seven golds (1953, 1957, 1979, 1986, 1990, 1998, 2002), one silver (1983) and two bronze medals (1994, 2006).
Top Finish: Champion in 1953, 1957, 1979, 1986, 1990, 1998 and 2002.
Last Time Out: In 2006 the USA returned home with the bronze medal and a 8-1 record.