RIO DE JANIERO (2016 Rio Olympics) - There have been tears of joy and tears of despair in 2015 as Continental Championships across the globe both realised and shattered dreams of competing at the Olympic Games in Rio next year.

There was also a sizeable chunk of history made too, including at EuroBasket Women where Serbia climbed to the top step of the podium in the competition for the very first time and also sealed a landmark maiden Olympic trip.

Crowned MVP presented by Tissot, Ana Dabovic was the inspiration as her dazzling 25-point haul, helped Serbia take a 76-68 win against France to wrap up a memorable first title. Sonja Petrovic stood alongside her team-mate in the All-Star Five after adding 22 points.

Les Bleues had to settle for the runners-up spot, while deposed champions Spain triumphed in the Third-Place Game. The duo will be joined by Belarus and Turkey at the 2016 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament (WOQT).

That is also the next destination for New Zealand, who went down 80-63 against neighbours Australia, as the Opals retained their FIBA Oceania Women's Championship crown. It was a valiant display by the Tall Ferns as Micaela Cocks did her best to spring a surprise with 21 points.

However, Australia had too much in their locker as Laura Hodges and Suzy Batkovic harnessed their vast experience to combine for 39 points in a victory which came hot on the heels of a 61-41 success on home soil in the first match-up. It also meant Australia secured a superb sixth consecutive Olympic berth.

Kia Nurse underlined her status as one of the newest and biggest stars of the women's game at the FIBA Americas Women's Championship as she propelled Canada to a glorious title on home soil in Edmonton.

A drought of two decades came to an end as Canada waltzed to the top of the podium with an 82-66 win against Cuba to exact revenge for their Final loss in Xalapa, Mexico two years earlier.

Nurse fired 20 points and it completed a spectacular title double for the hosts and head coach Lisa Thomaidis, who had also won gold at the Pan-Am Games in Toronto earlier in the summer.

Cuba will compete in the WOQT for a place at the Rio Olympics along with Argentina, who famously secured a 66-59 win against arch rivals and Olympic host nation Brazil to come out on top in the Third-Place Game.

There was also a slice of history for Venezuela who collected a berth at the WOQT for the first time by squeezing into the top five.

Hosts China were heavy favourites to prevail in Wuhan at the 2015 FIBA Asia Women's Championship, but Japan had other ideas as they completed a first successful defence of the title they had claimed in Bangkok in 2013.

Japan were unstoppable in the Final of the competition as they left China trailing in their wake with a devastating 85-50 victory, built from awesome defence, clinical finishing in transition and a fine 24 points from Sanae Motokawa.

Ramu Tokashiki pressed the pause button on her WNBA season to help her country and it made a big difference as she was handed the MVP gong, with her national team colleague Asami Yoshida also making it into the All-Star Five.

The only consolation for a crestfallen China was that their Rio flame continues to flicker and they will be joined at the WOQT by Korea who clinched the all-important last podium step.

AfroBasket Women 2015, the last continental championship of the year, witnessed Senegal taken their 11th continental crown and claim the last direct spot for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Aya Traore and Astou Traore poured in a combined 33 points for the winning side as they beat Cameroon 81-66, with the former being named the competition's Most Valuable Player.

While the locals in Yaounde didn't get the fairytale finish they craved as the hosts lost for the first time, Cameroon took the penultimate place for the WOQT and will be joined by Nigeria, who clinched third place.

Following the conclusion of the 2015 continental championships, five places remain up for grabs for the 2016 Women's Olympic Basketball Tournament.

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France, Spain, Belarus, Turkey, Cuba, Argentina, Venezuela, New Zealand, China, Korea, Cameroon and Nigeria clinched the 12 places for the WOQT that will take place from 13-19 June and will battle it out for the last five Olympic berths.

FIBA