Top Non-USA Performers in FIBA Women’s World Cup
The FIBA Women’s World Cup has hit the sharp end, and while Team USA storms ahead with its usual star power, the story of this tournament is also being written elsewhere. Six nations are already through to the quarterfinals — USA, Hungary, France, Belgium, Spain, and Germany — and a handful of non-American standouts are dragging their countries forward or, in some cases, leaving with their heads held high.
Here are the top non-USA performers so far, ranked strictly on what they’ve done on this World Cup stage.
1. Emma Meesseman, Belgium
Belgium’s rise has a familiar anchor.
Emma Meesseman, a former WNBA Finals MVP, has taken complete command of this tournament. She’s averaging 18.3 points on 50% shooting, 8 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game — numbers that scream centerpiece, not complementary piece.
Belgium went 3-0 in Group Play, including an eye-catching win over a loaded Australian side. Every time they needed a steady hand, Meesseman delivered: orchestrating from the high post, punishing mismatches inside, and reading the game two passes ahead. She looks exactly like what she is — a big-game player in full control of her craft.
2. Gabby Williams, France
France has talent, structure, and depth. Gabby Williams gives them their edge.
The versatile forward has turned Group Play into her own showcase, averaging 18.7 points on 58.8% shooting, including a blistering 55% from three. Add 4.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists, and you get the most complete stat line in the competition. She currently leads all World Cup players in scoring.
Williams has been relentless. Attacking closeouts, pushing in transition, switching onto guards, and still finding the legs to knock down threes. France cruised to a 3-0 record, and as they await the winner of Puerto Rico vs. China for Thursday’s quarterfinal, their ambitions rest heavily on her two-way brilliance.
3. Iyana Martin, Spain
Some tournaments introduce a star to the world. This might be Iyana Martin’s.
The Portland Fire guard has been electric for Spain, averaging 17.3 points with ruthless efficiency: 56.2% from the field and 43.8% from deep, plus 3 assists a night. She’s only 20 years old, yet already carving up defenses like a seasoned international veteran.
Her scoring run has been historic. Martin became the first under-21 player this century to post at least 20 points in back-to-back World Cup games. For a Spanish team trying to retool on the fly, she hasn’t just been a bright spot — she’s been a statement about the future.
4. Julie Vanloo, Belgium
If Meesseman is Belgium’s brain, Julie Vanloo is the pulse.
The guard has been lethal from the perimeter, averaging 16.3 points while shooting 51.4% from the field and 44.8% from three, with 4 assists per game. Her confidence has stretched defenses and opened the floor for Meesseman’s playmaking.
Belgium’s perfect 3-0 group record owes as much to Vanloo’s shot-making as it does to their star big. When opponents load up on Meesseman, Vanloo punishes them. Simple as that.
5. Marine Johannes, France
Few players in world basketball have Marine Johannes’ flair, and she’s brought all of it to this World Cup.
The New York Liberty guard is France’s second-leading scorer at 17 points per game, and she’s doing it while hitting 52% from three. That kind of accuracy, on the volume and difficulty of shots she takes, changes game plans.
Johannes is one of the veterans in this French group, and her presence matters. When the offense stalls, she bends it back into shape with a pull-up three, a quick-trigger catch-and-shoot, or a daring pass that only she sees. In a medal chase that will demand big shots under pressure, she’s built for the moment.
6. Ezi Magbegor, Australia
Australia have taken a hit with Alanna Smith ruled out of the tournament due to a lower-leg injury. That only sharpens the spotlight on Ezi Magbegor.
The Seattle Storm star, captain and leading scorer for the Opals, is averaging 15.7 points on 59.5% shooting. She’s also hitting 42.9% from three and pulling down 6.3 rebounds per game. Those numbers tell part of the story; her responsibility tells the rest.
Magbegor now has to carry even more of Australia’s interior scoring, rim protection, and leadership. If the Opals are going to recover from their group-stage setback against Belgium and make a real push, it will be on her shoulders.
7. Dorka Juhász, Hungary
Hungary have quietly muscled their way into the quarterfinals, and Dorka Juhász has led the charge.
The Minnesota Lynx forward may have had an uneven WNBA season, but in national colors she looks dominant again. Through four games, the 26-year-old is averaging 15.3 points on 50% shooting and a bruising 11 rebounds per game.
She’s controlled the glass, given Hungary second chances, and set the tone physically. That presence inside has been central to Hungary punching their ticket to the last eight, a milestone that underlines just how big her impact has been.
8. Xu Han, China
China’s path is brutally simple: beat Puerto Rico on Wednesday morning, or go home. If they’re going to survive, Xu Han will be at the heart of it.
The New York Liberty center is putting up 17.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. She’s shooting 52% from the field and an outrageous 54.5% from three, a combination that makes her almost impossible to scheme out of a game.
Her size alone changes matchups, but it’s the skill — the touch from outside, the passing, the composure under pressure — that has turned her into one of the standout bigs of this tournament. If China do advance, France will have a serious matchup on their hands.
9. Sevgi Uzun, Turkey
Turkey are already out, finishing 0-3, but their point guard left a real mark.
Sevgi Uzun, a former WNBA guard, led the entire World Cup in assists with 8.3 per game, while also pouring in 17.7 points a night. She shot 53% from the field and 45% from three — elite numbers for anyone, let alone the primary playmaker on a struggling team.
She didn’t have the supporting cast to turn those performances into wins, but in a short tournament, impact still counts. Uzun gave Turkey structure, scoring, and a reason to believe every time she stepped on the floor.
10. Djeneba N’Diaye, Mali
Mali’s tournament is over. Their impression is not.
The African side produced one of the shocks of the World Cup, stunning Spain 82–73 in Group Play for just their second-ever win in the competition and their first since an overtime thriller in 2010. At the heart of it all: Djeneba N’Diaye.
Through three games, N’Diaye averaged 17 points on 50% shooting, including 45% from three. She dropped 19 points in that historic win over Spain, a performance that will live far longer than this tournament run.
Mali may be out, but N’Diaye has ensured they won’t be forgotten when people talk about this World Cup — and who knows what that kind of breakthrough does for the next generation watching back home.
