The continental championship of Europe began on Thursday with Groups A and B playing in Tel Aviv, Israel and Group C and D playing in Ljubljana, Slovenia. This phase will have each team play three games with the team in last place in each group being eliminated and the first place team advancing directly to the quarterfinals. Teams in second and third place will play the team in the opposite place in the other group for the remaining places in the quarterfinals, which in the first phase in which all of the teams will be in Slovenia. In addition to a prestigious trophy, teams are competing to be the top five finishers besides France to advance to Olympic qualifying.
Group A:
The first game of the tournament was in this group and it figured to have elimination implications. Unlike many teams, Greece is pretty much at full strength, but Montenegro leaned on the players that they had to win 74-69. Spain was planning for a revenge tour after struggling in the last edition, but even a great game from Laura Gil was not enough as Anete Steinberga and Latvia, which was able to field pretty much their strongest feasible roster, took the lead in the second quarter and never looked back, holding on to a 67-63 win.
https://www.fiba.basketball/womenseurobasket/2023/game/1506/Montenegro-Greece#|tab=boxscore
Montenegro [74]: Zivkovic 15/14r Vucetic 14 Mack 12/7r Mujovic 12 Jovanovic 11 Kovacevic 5/6r Lekovic 5 Bigovic 0 Zivaljevic DNP Pasic DNP Radonjic DNP Scepanovic DNP
Greece [69]: Spanou 15/11r/6a Fasoula 15/9r Stamolamprou 14 Pavlopoulou 8 Stamati 6/6a Tsineke 6 Sotiriou 3 Christinaki 2 Alexandri 0 Bosgana DNP Diela DNP Karlafti DNP
https://www.fiba.basketball/womenseurobasket/2023/game/1506/Latvia-Spain#|tab=boxscore
Latvia [67]: Steinberga 22/6r Laksa 17 Gulbe 14/7r Jurjane 4/9r Pulvere 4/7a Vilka 4 Strautmane 2 Jakobsone 0 Vihmane DNP Pilabere DNP Jasa DNP Miscenko DNP
Spain [63]: Gil 20/10r Carrera 15/9r Torrens 13/6r Casas 4 Cazorla 3 Ouvina 3 Rodriguez 3 Dominguez 2 Quevedo 0 Conde 0 Ginzo 0 Pendande DNP
Group B:
Italy was a trendy pick to make some noise in this tournament, but the Czech Republic controlled the game late to win 61-58. Israel is happy to be at this level after being named hosts, but it was clear how far behind the top teams they are right now after Emma Meesseman led Belgium, which got an impressive shooting display from Laure Resimont in a 108-59 win.
https://www.fiba.basketball/womenseurobasket/2023/game/1506/Italy-Czech-Republic#|tab=boxscore
Italy [58]: Andre 10/8r Zandalasini 10/8a Keys 10 Spreafico 9 Pan 6 Villa 4 Verona 4 Bestagno 3 Fassina 2 Santucci 0 Cubaj 0 Trucco DNP
Czech Republic [61]: Holesinska 14 Hamzova 14 Brezinova 12/7r Stoupalova 9 Andelova 5 Vyoralova 3/6r Zeithammerova 2 Sipova 2 Cechova 0 Sklenarova 0 Paurova DNP Vorackova DNP
https://www.fiba.basketball/womenseurobasket/2023/game/1506/Belgium-Israel#|tab=boxscore
Belgium [108]: Meesseman 23 Resimont 22 Vanloo 16 Allemand 14/8a Linskens 12/6a Be. Massey 7 Delaere 5 Lisowa Mbaka 5 Geldof 4 Mununga 0 Ramette 0 Bi. Massey 0
Israel [59]: Y. Garzon 13/6r Rotberg 11 Zipel 10 Cohen 8 Simms 6 Baron 6 Raber 4/6r Karsh 1 Eisner 0 Sahar 0 L. Garzon DNP Vaturi DNP
Group C:
Hosts Slovenia looked good early behind Teja Oblak, but their depleted depth took its toll against a Great Britain team fielding a very squad from the players that qualified them from the tournament and it was the visitors who won 76-71. There was a degree of intrigue in how Germany’s very tall lineup would look in competitive games under a new coach and it held up against France in a 58-50 loss.
https://www.fiba.basketball/womenseurobasket/2023/game/1506/Great-Britain-Slovenia#|tab=boxscore
Great Britain [76]: Anigwe 15/14r Winterburn 15/7r/6a Wallace 14/7r Fagbenle 14 Herbert Harrigan 11 Gayle 5 Wilkinson 2 Robb 0 Ozzy-Momodu 0 McGarrachan 0 Fong Lyew Quee DNP Ottewill-Soulsby DNP
Slovenia [71]: Oblak 25 Friskovec 15/9r Lisec 14 Sivka 10/11r Ivanusa 4 Jakovina 3 Debeljak 0 Ceh 0 Cvijanovic 0 Rupnik DNP Kozina Bubnic DNP Kramzar DNP
https://www.fiba.basketball/womenseurobasket/2023/game/1506/Germany-France#|tab=boxscore
Germany [50]: Sontag 10 Hartmann 8 Geiselsoder 8 Gulich 6/8r Brunckhorst 6 Crowder 6 Greinacher 4 Degbeon 2 Bessoir 0/6r Wilker DNP Fiebich DNP Stach DNP
France [58]: Vukosavljevic 11 Rupert 9 Bernies 8 Chartereau 7 Badiane 7 Salaun 7 Gruda 5/8r Michel 2/6r Toure 2 Fauthoux 0 Lacan 0 Foppossi 0
Group D:
The first game in Ljubljana was in this group and Virag Kiss helped Hungary dominate the final quarter to turn a close game into an 89-67 win over Slovakia. Serbia started their title defense with a different set of key players, but won 71-63 over Turkey.
https://www.fiba.basketball/womenseurobasket/2023/game/1506/Slovakia-Hungary#|tab=boxscore
Slovakia [67]: Dudasova 15 Oroszova 9/8r Moravcikova 9 Jakubcova 8 Wrzesinski 7 Palenikova 6 Mistinova 6 Stasova 5 Bukova 2 Sedlakova 0 Tarkovicova DNP Martiskova DNP
Hungary [89]: Kiss 22 Dubei 17/7r Goree 16/7r Lelik 15 Kanyasi 5 Studer 5 Hatar 4/6r Torok 3 Aho 2 Ruff-Nagy 0 Horvath 0 Varga 0
https://www.fiba.basketball/womenseurobasket/2023/game/1506/Turkey-Serbia#|tab=boxscore
Turkey [63]: McCowan 12 Cakir 10 Uzun 10/6a Onar 10 Yildizhan 6 Bayram 4/6r Erdogan 4 Fitik 3 Ural 2 Akalan 2 Senyurek 0 Guner DNP
Serbia [71]: Anderson 17 Nogic 12 Jankovic 10 Stankovic 8 Raca 8 Krajisnik 6 Cado 5/8r Jovanovic 3 Topuzovic 2 Katanic 0 Djordjevic 0 Crvendakic DNP
Women's Basketball News and Opinions 