Lower-Limb Neuromuscular Profiles from Force Plate Testing During Elite Women’s Basketball National Team Camps: A Retrospective Comparison by Final Roster Status

This study compared force plate-derived lower-limb strength and power metrics between selected and non-selected female basketball players for major international competitions. Thirty-two female players attending the final national team camps for the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Olympic Games completed isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) and countermovement jump (CMJ) testing on dual force plates (1000 Hz). IMTP peak force, rate of force development (RFD) over 0-200 and 0-250 ms, CMJ height, and phase-specific kinetic variables were compared between roster (<i>n</i> = 14) and non-roster (<i>n</i> = 18) players. Eleven roster players had previous World Cup/Olympic experience (1.5 ± 1.2 selections across all 14 players), whereas non-roster players had none. The roster group was older than the non-roster group (26.8 ± 4.2 vs. 22.3 ± 3.1 years, <i>p</i> = 0.002); therefore, between-group comparisons were adjusted for age and playing position using analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs). After adjustment, no between-group differences were observed in IMTP- or CMJ-derived performance outcomes (all <i>p</i> ≥ 0.12; partial η² = 0.00-0.09). Therefore, in this elite cohort, roster status did not reflect force plate metrics but may reflect factors beyond these tests, including age and prior international experience.