Team Bahamas Prepares for Semifinals Against Lebanon

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VALENCIA, SPAIN – The Bahamas will face Lebanon Saturday at 11:30am in the first semifinal of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Valencia, Spain.

With wins over Poland and Finland, The Bahamas finished as the top team in Group B, while Lebanon finished 1-1, second in Group B following an upset win over Angola on Wednesday.

In the other semifinal, Spain finished 2-0 as the top team in Group A, and they will face Finland – the second seed in Group B.

Team Bahamas features three of the top five scorers in the group stage led by Buddy Hield and VJ Edgecombe at 20.5 points per game.

Hield also has an opportunity to set a new Olympic Qualifying Tournament record. He has 11 three point field goals through two games, four away from the record of 15 set by Serbian guard Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Hield is also averaging 6 rebounds and 6 assists per game.

Ayton is third in the tournament at nine rebounds per game while franco miller jr leads in steals at 2.5 per game.

A win in the semifinals means The Bahamas would move on to Sunday’s final.  

The winner of that game will advance to the 12 team field for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

NBA

Kai Jones is set to return to the Los Angeles Clippers next season.

Jones reportedly signed a non-guaranteed deal with the Clippers and is expected to compete for a roster spot in training camp.

The 23-year-old forward originally signed with the Clippers last April on the final day of the regular season, but didn’t see playing time during the playoffs. They declined his team option last week, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Jones continues to nurse an ankle injury that will keep him out of summer league.

The 19th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, he played sparingly in two seasons with the hornets before he was waived last October.

After five months without a team, Jones signed in10-day contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, but struggled with a hamstring injury during his brief tenure.

WNBA

Arguably the most decorated basketball player in Bahamian history, Jonquel Jones added another milestone to her career resume.

Jones was named a wnba all-star selection for the fifth time in her seven year career.

This season the New York Liberty center is averaging 16.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game while shooting a career high 58.5 percent from the field. 

In her last game she posted 21 points and 12 rebounds in New York’s 76-67 victory over the Minnesota Lynx.

Jones’ WNBA All-Star team will take on the U.S. Olympic team, July 20 at the Footprint Center, in Phoenix, Arizona.

The Liberty top the standings at 17-3 and have five games left before the All-Star break.