Head coach Tomohide Utsumi revealed a group of 18 as his preliminary Japan women’s national basketball team, which has already earned a spot in this summer’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics, at the Japan Basketball Association office on Wednesday.
Utsumi selected players mostly from the team that captured its second straight FIBA Asia Championship in China last year, headlined by WNBA player Ramu Tokashiki, veteran guard Asami Yoshida and scoring forward Sanae Motokawa.
Thirty-seven-year-old shooter Ai Mitani is the oldest player on the preliminary squad.