Can Tango Bourges Basket benefit from a summer of change?
BOURGES (EuroLeague Women ) – We start our look at this season's EuroLeague Women participants by checking in with French powerhouse Tango Bourges Basket who have been very busy during the off-season.
History: Bourges have a rich tradition in EuroLeague Women with three previous titles and have been almost ever-presents as one of the most famous and respected clubs in the women's game. They also landed the EuroCup Women title in 2016, when they started the season in EuroLeague Women.
Major arrivals: New head coach Olivier Lafargue and players Cristina Ouvina, Elodie Godin, Katherine Plouffe, Sarah Michel, Valeriane Ayayi and KB Sharp.
Major departures: Ex play-caller Valerie Garnier, Johannah Leedham, Clarissa Dos Santos, Miljana Bojovic, Kyla Alexander.
Players to watch: Marine Johannes and Alexia Chartereau are two of the most exciting and dynamic young players in Europe and the future of French basketball. It will be intriguing to see how they both continue their evolution and impact on this competition.
The most pivotal player could be Ayayi, someone who needs to avoid the danger of a career plateau by reminding us all of her talent on the wing, while getting the veteran know-how of Sharp might prove a masterstroke.
Flashback: Former head coach Pierre Vincent will oversee Beretta Famila Schio in the competition this season as he makes a return to the women's game.
Combined with another former favourite Celine Dumerc, the pair guided France to their first-ever Olympic medal five years ago. The duo were the pride of Bourges and remain hugely respected at Le Prado.
Outlook: After major roster surgery during the off-season, Bourges will need to find chemistry quickly but five senior France team members will help. They look to have upgraded since last season and have a great mix of youth and experience. Blended with a potentially more expansive brand of basketball, they could be more fun to watch and will be eyeing up a potentially strong campaign.
FIBA
