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The women’s 5×5 basketball competition begins Sunday, July 28 and concludes Sunday, August 11 with the gold medal game. The field features 12 national teams, divided into three groups of four teams.

Group A: Serbia, Spain, China, Puerto Rico

Group B: Canada, Nigeria, Australia, France

Group C: Germany, United States, Japan, Belgium

Group play consists of a single round-robin tournament, with the first- and second-place teams advancing to the quarterfinals. The top two third-place teams also will advance to the quarters, where, after a draw, the competition becomes a single-elimination tournament, which will begin on Wednesday, August 7. Group games will be held at Pierre Malloy Stadium in Lille, France, while Accor Arena in Paris will host the quarterfinals, semifinals and medal games.

Here’s more on the four teams contending to advance out of Group C:

Germany

Roster: Romy Bear, Emily Bessoir, Freida Buehner, Leonie Fiebich, Luisa Geiselsöder, Marie Gülich, Alina Hartmann, Alexis Peterson, Nyara Sabally, Satou Sabally, Lina Sontag, Alexandra Wilke

Germany’s trip to Paris should be a celebratory one, as the national team has qualified for the Olympic Games for the first time. Head coach Lisa Thomaidis is sure to rely on the Sabally sisters—2023 WNBA Most Improved Player Satou of the Dallas Wings and the younger Nyara of the New York Liberty—as well as wing Leonie Fiebich, who is enjoying a successful WNBA debut season with the Liberty. The German squad also claims the talents of several former collegiate standouts, including two with WNBA experience in guard Alexis Peterson, who starred at Syracuse (2013-17) and played one season for the Seattle Storm (2017), and center Marie Gülich, who was first round pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft out of Oregon State (2014-18) and played for the Phoenix Mercury (2018), Atlanta Dream (2019) and Los Angeles Sparks (2020). Forwards Emily Bessoir and Lina Sontag, both of whom played for UCLA last season but will not be returning to the Bruins, give the Germans additional depth.

United States

Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images

Roster: Napheesa Collier, Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Sabrina Ionescu, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, Breanna Stewart, Dianna Taurasi, Alyssa Thomas, A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young

Head coach Cheryl Reeve is tasked with ensuring a stacked American squad continues its gold medal tradition, as Team USA aims to extend its international dominance with an eighth-straight gold medal. 42-year-old Phoenix Mercury legend Dianna Taurasi, who already has five golds in her trophy case, is looking to claim her sixth (and final?) gold medal. She is supported by WNBA stars with different levels of Olympic experience. 2023 WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty and nine-time All-Star Brittney Griner of the Mercury are going for the third golds, while five members of Team USA hope to earn their first 5×5 gold medal.

Japan

Photo by Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images

Roster: Asami Yoshida, Mai Yamamoto, Stephanie Mawuli, Evelyn Mawuli, Maki Takada, Saki Hayashi, Yuki Miyazawa, Saori Miyazaki, Rui Machida, Himawari Akaho, Nako Motohashi, Nanako Todo

At the 2020 Olympic Games, the host Japanese were the competition’s most pleasant surprise. Their sharp execution helped them overcome size challenges and advance to the gold medal game, where they fell short against the United States but won the national program’s first Olympic medal. Matching that silver achievement will be a tall task for head coach Toru Onzunka and Akatsuki Japan. Rui Machida, who played for the Washington Mystics in 2022, remains a sparkplug guard for the Japanese. She’ll be surrounded by high-quality shooters, while the Mawuli sisters—Stephanie and Evelyn—will provide the team with high-energy interior play.

Belgium

Photo by Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images

Roster: Emma Meesseman, Anotnia Delaere, Julie Allemand, Julie Vanloo, Becky Massey, Maxuella Lisowa-Mbaka, Billie Massey, Laure Reismont, Elise Ramette, Bethy Mununga, Kyara Linskens, Ine Joris

Head coach Rachid Meziane and the Belgian Cats enter their second Olympic Games intent upon claiming their first medal. Forward Emma Meesseman, a 2019 WNBA champion with the Washington Mystics who starred in the WNBA for seven seasons (2013-17, 2019-20, 2022), remains the steady leader of the Belgian side. She’ll be buoyed by a pair of guards with WNBA experience in Julie Allemand, who has played for the Indiana Fever (2020) and Chicago Sky (2022), and Julie Vanloo, who has assumed starting point guard duties for the Mystics in her first season in the W. Forward Bethy Mununga, who played at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (2017-19) and South Florida (2019-22), will give the Cats a presence in the frontcourt.

Group C schedule

Monday, July 29

Germany vs. Belgium (7:30 a.m. ET)

United States vs. Japan (3 p.m. ET)

Thursday, August 1

Japan vs. Germany (5 a.m. ET)

Belgium vs. United States (3 p.m. ET)

Sunday, August 4

Japan vs. Belgium (5 a.m. ET)

Germany vs. United States (11:15 a.m. ET)