MUNICH (FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017) - Are our final power rankings an accurate look ahead to June 25? Will Dumerc be celebrating like above in her national team swansong?

RANK	NATION	MOVE
1		+2	A satisfying preparation has shown they can possibly cope without Sandrine Gruda and Isabelle Yacoubou in the paint and can excel with Helena Ciak on-song. Bidding for a third Final and with prodigious talent including Marine Johannes, Olivia Epoupa and fine veterans like Celine Dumerc and Endy Miyem, they could challenge for the top step of the podium.
2		-1	Finishing their preparation with a loss against France wasn't ideal, but it sharpened the focus for coach Mondelo and his players – including how they will protect a potentially fragile frontcourt rotation. However, a world-class and unparalleled line-up in the backcourt and on the wings, means they're a lock for a medal and can push to regain the coveted title.
3		+1	The declaration that Sonia Petrovic and Ana Dabovic have made the final roster after significant injury concerns will be music to the ears of the Serbian fans. They know their title defense will largely hinge on the duo – along with captain Jelena Milovanovic. After beating Japan in a series to finish preparation, it looks bright for new play-caller Stefan Karadzic.
4		-2	Alexander Vasin has now tasted defeat for the first time at the helm and that's maybe better than doing so at The Final Round. Competition for places and court-time remains fierce, although the loss of the experienced Tatiana Vidmer to injury is a blow and leaves a very young roster packed with young guns, looking to fire Russia back to glory.
5		+3	After finally revealing their roster for the event, the list of names confirms why expectations of a top-six finish are so high. That mix of experience and youth looks brilliantly balanced and it is going to be fascinating watching the Final Round curtain come down for great vets like Laura Macchi and Raffaella Masciadri, but get raised for Cecilia Zandalasini and Elisa Penna.
6		+7	Having announced a familiar set of faces with only Pelin Bilgic set to debut, perhaps the potential demise of Turkey has been exaggerated. Beating Latvia in their last preparation game has eased concerns. With wily head coach Ekrem Memnun and some top-level guards, they can arguably look forwards again – rather than over their shoulders
7		-1	It has been a relatively quiet finish for Philip Mestdagh and his team, but Noemie Mayombo has withdrawn and so they are without three guards with Julie Allemand and Hind ben Abdelkader injured. Still, the result could be exhilarating if they play to their potential and feed off the best frontcourt duo in the competition in Emma Meesseman and Ann Wauters.
8		-3	Things had been going fully to plan ahead of their historic first-ever Final Round footsteps, but Slovenia finished their preparation program with consecutive losses against a depleted Montenegro. However, with a full roster and some top-level players in Nika Baric and Teja Oblak, as well as Maja Erkic as a great leader, they can be confident of shining.
9		-2	Despite being hit by injuries, Latvia will need to be taken seriously as they have some very reliable players in the paint, while there is experience in the backcourt and on the wings too. They could be described as 'the par or middle team' of the tournament, based on expectation and what has happened in the preparation games.
10		+1	After losing WNBA champion Jelena Dubljevic to an injury, Montenegro have shown their resilience by beating Slovenia twice and reiterating that Roberto Iniguez will bring out their usual hard-nosed approach more than ever and so they could be very difficult to beat. Milica Jovanovic and Angelica Robinson have been playing really well and could be the key.
11			It's impossible to rule out any team including Alina Iagupova, who can win any game because of her explosiveness and devastating scoring skills. After a rocky few weeks, some stability seems to have returned and maybe they're back as dark horses for the top six - having previously looked a strong choice because of their unbeaten campaign in the  Qualifiers.
12			Massive wins against Slovak Republic have made some people sit up and notice. Tijana Krivacevic has been on fire of late, although her team is likely to rely too much on their star forward. But now Courtney Vandersloot has re-acquainted herself with her national team colleagues, it feels like Hungary head into Group A with some newfound momentum.
13		-4	The last team to announce their roster and with very little information coming out of the Czech camp, it is tricky to assess their prospects. The hosts haven't exactly made a splash during preparations and  home fans can only hope they're saving their best for when the real action starts. The Czech frontcourt looks nice, but they remain short in the backcourt.
14		+1	Pitched into one of the potentially toughest of groups, they look like they will be hampered by the loss of Zoi Dimitrakou and Olga Chatzinikolau, who were important in the Qualfiers. Preparation has been a mixed bag and anything is possible with 2009 MVP Evanthia Maltsi, while they have some exciting young talents who could yet make a breakthrough.
15		+1	Almost half the squad are going to be making their major tournament debut. While preparation has thrown up some solid and encouraging performances, a lack of experience and the absence of multiple prize assets who have delivered so much glory in the past decade, suggests this Final Round is going to be a real challenge as Belarus turn the page.
16		-1	After an eye-catching start to their preparations, heavy defeats to Hungary last weekend suggest the wheels may have come off for new head coach Marian Svoboda. They do have concerns about limited guard options, although their very capable frontcourt rotation could still make them dangerous and they will be fine with the underdog label.

*The power rankings are entirely subjective and is in no way a true, accurate ranking systems. All comments are purely those of the author.

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