The Japan women's basketball team is one of 12 nations that will vie for a spot in the 2008 Summer Olympics at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women from June 9 to June 15 in Madrid. Japan, coached by Tomohide Utsumi, was placed in Group A, along with Latvia and Senegal. Group B is comprised of Angola, Argentina and the Czech Republic. Brazil, Fiji and Spain are in Group C, while Belarus, Taiwan and Cuba are the Group D squads. The top two nations in each group will advance to the quarterfinals, and the quarterfinal winners will earn a trip to the Beijing Summer Games. The quarterfinal losers will compete in the consolation bracket for the tourney's fifth-place spot, and the fifth-place team will grab the fifth and final Olympic berth. Seven other nations — China, Australia, South Korea, the United States, Russia, Mali and New Zealand — have already earned invitations to send teams.
