Gotta Get Up!

Breanna Stewart is carrying a younger USA team through a tournament that's already proven to be anything but easy. When nobody else could make a shot against Italy, Stewart was the one grabbing rebounds, switching out on everything, blowing up coverages, and doing the dirty work that kept USA alive. 

She's simultaneously a top-tier superstar and a lunch pail player — and for a young Team USA that's still finding its footing, that combination may be the difference between a gold medal and an early exit. Head coach Kara Lawson knows it too: with Chelsea Gray and Stewie as her veteran anchors, the question isn't whether Stewart is needed — it's how much she can carry before the knockout rounds get harder.

France has been the calmest team in the field, and Marine Johannès and Pauline Astier are a big reason why — Astier leading Team France in assists as a rookie is not something anyone saw coming. Han Xu is shooting over 50 percent in all categories for China heading into the knockout round. Raquel Carrera and Spain survived a scare of their own in the group stage. And Leonie Fiebich is carrying the torch for Germany — as the host nation — with the group stage nearly sending them home before they got through.

Erica talked to Leo about what hosting means for women's basketball in Germany, and the answer tells you everything about what's at stake for her personally. Along with Satou Sabally, Leo has defined a generation of German basketball — and this World Cup is her biggest stage yet.

Erica L. Ayala and Brian Fleurantin break down every Liberty storyline at the World Cup — the group stage, the bracket, and what the knockout round could look like for each player — on Gotta Get Up, the New York Liberty podcast from Black Rosie Media.

0:00 — Intro: Six Liberty Players, One World Cup — Group Stage Breakdown
5:34 — USA's Close Call vs. Italy: What It Revealed About This Team
16:44 — Marine Johannès & France: The Calm, Confident Team Nobody Should Sleep On
28:52 — Pauline Astier Is Leading France in Assists as a Rookie
33:19 — Stewie vs. Caitlin Clark: Who's Actually Carrying USA?
1:01:10 — Leonie Fiebich & Germany: Carrying the Torch in Berlin as the Host Nation
1:03:42 — Han Xu Is Shooting Over 50% in All Categories for China
1:09:10 — China vs. Puerto Rico Preview: Why Han Xu Can't Bring the Ball Down
1:13:07 — Belgium, Julie Allemand & the Former Liberty Players Making Noise at the World Cup