Puerto Rico will participate in their fourth World Olympic Qualification Tournament and their goal is to nail their first ever participation in the Olympic Games in front of their home fans as they organise the tournament at Roberto Clemente coliseum. In the last few years, Puerto Rico are gathering vital experience and know-how by competing regularly against elite sides in the World Grand Prix and the World Championship, where they have appeared four times since their debut in 2002. They made their best finish of equal-tenth on that year, and at the 2014 edition in Italy, the Central American side won a match against Cuba, but missed out on the second round of qualification by three points. 
Puerto Rico have enjoyed better results at the continental level, where they finished third at the Pan American Cups in 2009 and 2014, and finished fifth at the 2011 edition in Mexico. They took the silver medal at the 2009 NORCECA Championship and dropped to two places in 2011 and then claimed bronze in the 2013 and 2015 editions. In 2015, Puerto Rico played an outstanding season, as they finished fourth in the Pan American Games in Canada, and appeared in their second consecutive World Grand Prix Group 2 finals.