Roundup: Serbia reduce squad, Rozenberga ruled out for Latvia
MUNICH (FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017) – Reigning EuroBasket Women champions Serbia have made cuts to their candidate list ahead of their pending title defense, while the Final Round dreams of Dita Rozenberga have been shattered.
Knezevic and Ajdukovic cut
New Serbia head coach Stevan Karadzic has opted to omit Adrijana Knezevic and Tijana Ajdukovic from contention as the pair were told they won't be appearing at The Final Round. The play-caller made the decision on the eve of a three-game preparation series against Japan, with the omission of Ajdukovic particularly decisive as she won gold two years ago in Budapest.
He stated: "We thank them both for their efforts. Tijana could not do anymore because of an ankle injury and their commitment and behavior were exemplary.
"Japan are a completely atypical rival for us and this will be interesting as they don't have the height, but they are run well, are very aggressive and shoot the three-pointers.
"We will try to use these games to try out everything we have done so far during the preparatory period and to get better before we go to Prague.
"Ana Dabovic and Sonja Petrovic won't be involved against Japan as they are working under a special training regime," added Karadzic.
Heartache for Rozenberga
Dita Rozenberga won't be on the flight to Prague either after Latvia head coach Martins Zibarts confirmed she will miss the tournament with an injury.
"Injuries have not spared us and now [with Rozenberga] we have lost four candidates, which has minimized our choice," confirmed the playcaller ahead of a final preparatory meeting in Turkey.
"The first goal of this last test is to avoid more injuries and unpleasant surprises.
"We can't demand too much of our team leaders and we have to be even more patient and just try to play without huge fluctuations in the match."
Bentley debuts for Belarus
There was a notable moment for recent Nadezhda signing Alexandria Bentley, as the WNBA star made her belated debut for Belarus. Penciled in to represent her adopted country as a naturalized player at the Final Round next week, she fired 12 points in her first outing but couldn't prevent Belarus from falling 65-58 to Greece.
Evanthia Maltsi continued her rhythm for the locals in the four-team friendly tournament, by racking up 17 points. Fellow veteran Styliani Kaltsidou also weighed in with 12 points.
Vadeeva cuts down Ukraine
In the same tournament in Patras, the red-hot form of Russia and specifically Maria Vadeeva continued as the 18-year-old posted a near flawless shooting effort to help Russia take a 73-67 success. The teenager finished with a superb 23 points as Russia moved to 12-from-12 under the guidance of head coach, Alexander Vasin.
Big boost for Montenegro
Having been dealt a huge blow earlier this week with confirmation that their kingpin Jelena Dubljevic has been ruled out of The Final Round with an injury, Montenegro reacted in the best possible way.
They took a convincing and eye-catching win against Slovenia in the first of a double-header against their rivals, with Milica Jovanovic showing they still have big talent in their ranks as she amassed a sparkling 28-point haul. Eva Lisec recorded a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds in defeat.
Czech 'Lionesses' meet the real deal
New member of our squad for #EuroBasketWomen2017. Lioness LEFINKA. #bojujjakolvice pic.twitter.com/0zdvyOs4lV
— Czech Basketball (@CzechBasketball) June 8, 2017
Host nation Czech Republic are hoping to roar loudly on home soil and the team nicknamed 'The Lionesses' came face-to-face with the real thing when the squad visited a Biopark which rescues animals from circuses and private owners.
France prepare for Mulhouse tournament
Premier entraînement pour les Bleues 🇫🇷 arrivées aujourd'hui à Mulhouse #EuroBasketWomen2017 🏀 pic.twitter.com/KK24VUBEt0
— Equipe France Basket (@FRABasketball) June 7, 2017
There is excitement for spectators in Mulhouse after France arrived for their last warm-up tournament prior to departing for The Final Round. The hosts will play Italy on Friday and Spain on Sunday.
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