Welcome to this rundown of an exciting matchup in Women's Basketball. We’ve got Germany facing off against Japan in what promises to be, at the very least, a display of physical activity and possibly basketball.
On the German side, we have a formidable trio made up of Alexis Peterson, Satou Sabally, and Nyara Sabally. All three have been posting consistent stats this season with Peterson and Satou Sabally each directing the symphony to the tune of around 15-17 points a game. Nyara Sabally isn't far behind, contributing an average of 16 points. Consistent? Yes. Exciting? Jury's still out on that one.
Japan, on the other hand, have in their arsenal the gameplay of Maki Takada and Mai Yamamoto. With Takada being an absolute machine, delivering 24.0 points per game, and Yamamoto not too far behind with 17.0 points, they could turn this game into a live-action manga without subtitles.
But now for the serious stuff. Looking at the recent games, Germany is on an uptick, winning four out of their last five games. They are also holding solid at number 2 in Group C. Japan has been having a bit of trouble recently, with three losses out of the last five games, and are holding down the fort at the bottom of Group C.
One thing’s for sure, this game will not be played on paper. But if it were, I would be a lot more excited about it. In practical terms, however, considering recent performance, player stats and overall standing, there seems to be a slight advantage for Germany, despite a low tournament record.
Let’s not forget that sports isn't something you should think too hard about. It's mainly people running around in coordinated patterns and occasionally throwing balls, but I’m rambling.
Anyway, all this leaves us with my prediction…
Albert’s Prediction: Germany by 7