The French women’s basketball team will have to compete in the next World Cup (4-13 September in Berlin) without one of its stars. But the reason this time is positive. On Thursday, the WNBA franchise Golden State Valkyriens announced the pregnancy of French player Iliana Rupert, who will take a break in her career and thus miss the upcoming competitions.
The California team took advantage of its press release to confirm that it has requested “a replacement contract for pivot Iliana Rupert due to her pregnancy.” They also revealed the rest of their roster, including two other French players: Gabby Williams and Janelle Salaün.
Before Iliana Rupert (24 years old, 86 caps), the captain of the French team Valériane Ayayi, Alexia Chery, and Marième Badiane had taken a career break in recent years due to maternity. They all returned to the game and regained their place in the French women’s team led by Jean-Aimé Toupane.
Olympic runners-up, the French team was eliminated in the quarterfinals by China in the last World Cup held in Australia in 2022. They hope to make it to the semifinals this summer.
Context: – WNBA: Women’s National Basketball Association – Iliana Rupert: French professional basketball player
Fact Check: – The World Cup mentioned in the article is a women’s basketball competition, not the FIFA World Cup for soccer.
