The FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2025 has arrived, with the 16-team regional tournament tipping off its group stage on Wednesday before the knockout stages begin on June 24th.
Hosted across the continent with games in Czechia, Germany, Italy, and Greece, the 40th edition of the annual competition carries the additional weight of serving as a qualifying event for the 2026 FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournaments.
As a result, the top five teams in this month's EuroBasket contest will earn automatic spots in one of the March 2026 qualifiers.
Leading the charge to this year's trophy are 2023 winners Belgium, who enter the EuroBasket tournament as reigning champions.
However, 2024 Olympic silver medalists France have since stepped into the spotlight, with the always-dangerous Spain also threatening a podium finish.
Familiar faces to WNBA fans will feature on the 2025 EuroBasket courts this month, as several WNBA players have temporarily departed their US clubs to join their national teams in Europe, including Belgium guard Julie Allemand (LA Sparks), Great Britain center Temi Fagbenle (Golden State Valkyries), and Germany forward Leonie Fiebich (New York Liberty).
As a major international tournament, the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket is exempt from the WNBA's prioritization rule, meaning eligible players can miss regular-season league play to compete in the overseas contest without being in violation of WNBA protocols.
How to watch FIBA Women's EuroBasket in the US
The EuroBasket group-stage action tipped off on Wednesday morning, with all games streaming live on Courtside 1891.
Five-time Olympic gold medalist Sue Bird is taking over as managing director for the USA women's basketball team, per multiple reports on Tuesday.
Bird will move into the key leadership position with Team USA in the lead-up to the 2028 LA Olympics, where the women's side will shoot for a record-ninth consecutive gold medal.
The legendary point guard's hiring is a significant departure for USA Basketball, with the 44-year-old now responsible for selecting the team's players and coaches.
Until now, Team USA relied on an Olympic committee to oversee roster decisions and build national team camps. The decision to institute a managing director, however, will shift the women's program to mirror the leadership structure that the men's side first implemented in 2005.
Bird's first major test at the helm will be next year's FIBA World Cup, which tips off in Germany in September 2026.
That said, the work toward that international title will begin with World Cup qualifying this coming November, when national teams will hit the court immediately after the WNBA wraps up its 2025 postseason play.
The selection and evaluation committee for USA Basketball never shied away from difficult decisions, but this week's switch to a single-entity structure will put Bird directly on the hook for the program's success — with an Olympic record streak on the line.