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Bringing together the 12 best wheelchair basketball teams on earth, the Women's Tournament of the Ottawa 2026 World Championships kicks off with a Group Stage formed by two groups, each composed of six teams. The sides will face each other from 9 to 15 September in tmatches that will decide the eight teams qualified for the quarter-finals.
After getting to know the teams from Group A, it's time to learn a little more about the sides that make up Group B, which is formed by the United States, Japan, the Netherlands, Algeria, Germany, and France.
Group B
United States
If there's an orange ball on the court, you know the United States are going to be among the best. And it's no different with women's wheelchair basketball. The American national team are a powerhouse in the sport and carry with them the tradition of two world titles (1990 and 2010), and four Paralympic golds (1988, 2004, 2008 and 2016). With this impressive track record, the United States always enters any competition to fight for the trophy.
Road to Ottawa 2026
Dominant in the last edition of the Americas Cup, held last year in Bogotá, Colombia, the United States lifted the champions' trophy and secured direct qualification for the Ottawa 2026 World Championships.
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The 3.5 class Rose Marie Hollermann is a standout player for the United States team. At the last World Championships, in Dubai 2022, she led the American team in the campaign that ended with a third-place finish, with averages of 19.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. The performance earned her a selection for the All-Star Team of the tournament. Eyes should also be on Ixhelt Gonzalez, MVP of the 2023 U25 World Championship and who, in the absence of more veteran players, led the USA Team to the title at the last Americas Cup, with an average of 18 points in just 21 minutes per game.
Japan
Japan are among the main Asian forces in women's wheelchair basketball, sharing the zonal spotlight with China and Australia. Runners-up at the last Asia Oceania Championship, the Japanese team arrives for their eighth appearance at the World Championships and carry as their best result two fourth-place finishes, achieved in 1998 and 2002.
Road to Ottawa 2026
Silver medallists at the 2025 Asia Oceania Championship secured Japan the second and last direct qualification spot for the Ottawa 2026 IWBF World Championships.
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The 37-year-old veteran player Chihiro Kitada remains a Japanese reference on the court. In the last edition of the Asia Oceania Championship, she was the main player, leading the team in points, with 14.7 per game, and rebounds, with an averagev of 9.0 per match. The performances earned her a selection for the All-Star Team of the tournament as the best player of the 4.0/4.5 classes.
The Netherlands
The great power in women's wheelchair basketball today, the Netherlands arrives in Ottawa surrounded by expectations, seeking to maintain a reign that has already lasted eight years. Since 2018, the Dutch have won all the major competitions they have participated in, with two world titles (2018 and 2022) and two Paralympic gold medals (Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024). They are, without a doubt, the team that everyone aims to beat in Ottawa.
Road to Ottawa 2026
Dominant on the European scene, the Dutch won, in 2025, their fifth consecutive continental title. With another trophy in the cabinet, the orange team secured their spot at the Ottawa 2026 IWBF World Championships.
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The Netherlands national team have in their squad two of the great stars of women's wheelchair basketball: Mariska Beijer and Bo Kramer. Together, the two were responsible for no less than 51.1 of the 79.8 points per game scored by the team, which had the best offence of the competition in the title-winning campaign at the Dubai 2022 World Championships. Keep an eye on them!
Algeria
In their third consecutive appearance at the World Championships, Algeria carry with them the full strength of the African continent, of which they are the only representative in Ottawa 2026. On the continental stage, the Algerians are dominant and won the last edition of the Africa Championship undefeated. In their first two World Championship appearances, Algeria finished in 12th place.
Road to Ottawa 2026
The African representative in Ottawa secured their spot for the World Championships thanks to the title at the 2026 Africa Championship, held in Luanda, Angola. With the victory in the final over South Africa, Algeria secured the only direct spot allocated to the continent.
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Djamila Khemgani is the standout player of the Algerian team that came to Ottawa. The class 4.0 athlete was the team's top scorer at the last World Championships, in Dubai 2022, with averages of 12.6 points per game, as well as the main rebounder, with 8.3 per game. More recently, she was elected MVP of the 2026 Africa Championship, leading Algeria to the title with an impressive stat line: 18.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 5.3 steals.
Germany
Semi-finalists at the last edition of the World Championships, in Dubai 2022, and at the Paralympic Games, in Paris 2024, Germany are seeking to make the leap to return to the podium in major competitions. Always competitive at World Championships, the Germans have a total of five medals in their history, with two bronzes (2006 and 2018) and three silvers (1990, 2010, and 2014).
Road to Ottawa 2026
After a fourth-place finish at the 2025 European Championship, Germany went to Madrid, Spain, in June 2026, for the Repechage Tournament. The competition put the last four spots for the 2026 World Championships up for grabs. The victory over Thailand in the decisive clash stamped the Germans' passport to Ottawa.
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The German national team has a very collective style of play, where the offensive contribution comes from different athletes. Among these, Roli-Ann Neubauer stood out in the last two competitions played by the team. She averaged 11.9 points and 6.9 rebounds at the 2025 European Championship and then 13.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game at the Repechage Tournament in 2026.
France
France is back to the World Championships after being absent from the Dubai 2022 edition. The French arrive in Ottawa seeking to find a way to, perhaps, surprise the favourite teams and reach the later stages of the women's tournament. In history, France carries as their best result a fifth-place finish, achieved in 1990.
Road to Ottawa 2026
France finished their participation at the 2025 European Championship in fifth place, which took the team to the Repechage Tournament, held in June of the following year, in Madrid, Spain. There, the French went in search of one of the four remaining spots for the Ottawa 2026 World Championships. And they achieved their goal by beating Colombia in the decisive clash.
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Marion Blais was absent from the 2025 European Championship but returned to the French team in 2026 and was a key piece for France to secure qualification for the World Championships. At the Repechage Tournament, the class 4.5 athlete was the tournament's top scorer with 19.8 points per game, in addition to achieving a double-double with an average of 12.3 rebounds.
