The FIBA World Cup is now in its quarterfinal stage, and from here on, the stakes have risen. Teams will now play in a knockout format, with Team USA all set to face Hungary on September 10. But after France’s matchup against Nigeria on Monday, former college basketball player Rachel A. Demita believes the Americans could have a much bigger threat waiting for them down the road.

“If you guys don’t think that France is playing and plotting for revenge from the 2024 Olympics, not only for the women’s team, but also for the men’s team as well. They are coming for revenge in this FIBA World Cup,” Demita said on her podcast on the September 8 episode. “And that’s why, like I’ve been saying, we cannot sleep on any of these teams, and we especially cannot sleep on France.”

“Yes, I know on paper, if you put our rosters side-by-side next to one another, Team USA has a more talented roster and should be the favorites and should win gold during this FIBA World Cup tournament. But France has the chemistry. They have a really strong roster, and they’re playing with a lot of heart and a lot of grit,” she added.

France certainly gave the Americans another reason to pay attention in its final group-stage game. Les Bleus dismantled Nigeria 111-56 while setting a new tournament record with 22 made three-pointers. France shot 22-of-40 from beyond the arc, with Golden State Valkyries star Gabby Williams knocking down six and New York Liberty guard Marine Johannes adding five more. Janelle Salaun also contributed four triples.

The dominant win helped France move into the quarterfinals, where it will face the winner of Puerto Rico and China. The team has also climbed to No. 1 in the FIBA power rankings, with Team USA sitting second.

That could set up a heavyweight rematch later in the tournament. If both teams continue winning, Team USA and France could meet on Sunday with a gold medal on the line. For the Americans, that would mean facing a French team that has already shown just how dangerous it can be.

France also has unfinished business from the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Team USA escaped with a narrow victory over the hosts in the gold-medal game. To add more fuel to their fire, in that same tournament, France’s men’s team also lost to the Americans’ men’s team in the finals.

And the motivation from those losses is not exactly being hidden, either.

“It’s a lot of motivation,” France star Dominique Malonga told Olympics.com when asked about their 2024 loss to Team USA ahead of the FIBA World Cup. “We just want to take the positives, which is the heart, the fight, the spirit. If we bring that again, we are a completely different team in terms of individualities.”

“We all grew from that experience. Basketball-wise, I think we’re even better than from that time. If we bring back the fighting and the competitiveness and the heart that we had, there is no reason we cannot find that level again,” she added.

So far, Les Bleus have won their three preliminary-round games by an average of 43 points, while Team USA is still trying to find its footing. The Americans almost fell to Italy in their second group-stage game, as they escaped with a narrow 55-52 victory. Even USA’s most prolific scorer, Caitlin Clark, who averages 22.5 ppg in the WNBA, could only score one point when the Americans faced the Italians.

Team USA is widely a fan favorite behind its mix of veteran and young star roster, but France has already shown that it will not be intimidated by the name on the other side of the court. Now, with the knockout stage underway, Demita’s warning becomes even more relevant: if Team USA wants a fifth straight title, France may be the team it has to get through to claim it.