BOURGES (FIBA U16 Women’s European Championship 2017) – Latvian playmaker Jete Nulle has her sights set on a top five spot at the FIBA U16 Women’s European Championship 2017 and a ticket to Minsk.

That is where the FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup 2018 will be held, and the guard is banking on making a return to the competition, having played at the previous edition on Latvia’s tournament debut.

If Latvia do end up in the top five, it will continue their recent breakthrough of making it to global events. Nulle made history last year in Zaragoza during their maiden U17 appearance, while Latvia recently played at the FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup for the first time.

And, as if that wasn’t enough to be proud of, the senior team took fifth place at EuroBasket Women 2017 in a dramatic contest against Italy. That means they also made history with safe passage to the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2018 in Spain.

"I'm very proud of my country for reaching the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup," smiled Nulle.

"As a young player, it gives me inspiration for the future and of course, I watched every game that they played in Prague. It was very stressful, but words can't express the feeling after the win over Italy [to take fifth]."

Even if Nulle patrols the backcourt and has a diminutive physical frame, it is the contrasting and towering figure of senior center Anete Steinberga that's her source of inspiration.

"I enjoyed watching her performance the most," enthused Nulle.

“She's a true fighter in every situation and that's the thing I want to improve in myself. I also want to never give up and to fight until the end in every game and give the same spirit to the whole team like she does."

She continued: "The FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup is something really unbelievable and it would be a dream come true to play there with my team again.

"To play with different nations from all around the world is amazing and there is so much to see and so much to learn on the court."

If Latvia do want to make it to Belarus, then Nulle is likely to provide one of the main thrusts as all nations get ready for the business end of the tournament.

Her maturity on the floor has been impressive, even if she has not hit top gear just yet. Her participation last month at the FIBA U20 Women’s European Championship where she matched-up with players up to four years older than her is proving priceless.

She confirmed: "It was a whole new experience for me, but of course a very important one because I was able to play basketball at a different level.

"It was more physical and faster, while I also got to learn from more experienced players. It has given me confidence to deal with different situations and also help out my teammates if that's necessary.

"But, I'm just one piece of the whole puzzle. My team and I find it important for everyone to feel the same energy,” concluded Nulle.

FIBA