Russia out to revive Matosinhos memories
MOSCOW (FIBA U20 Women's European Championship 2016) - Two years ago, Russia rode to the top of the podium in Portugal as they celebrated topping the FIBA U18 Women's European Championship and now the same core of players are returning to Matosinhos.
That spells excitement not only for a glut of rising stars who left the Portuguese coastal resort clutching gold medals in 2014, but also for the neutrals who might witness one of the best Russian youth teams in recent memory if the initial candidate list is anything to go by.
| Russia 24-player squad for FIBA U20 Women's European Championship 2016 | |||
| Sabina Abaidullina | Olga Aksenova | Anastasia Borovykh | Elizaveta Bratchikova |
| Anna Burovaya | Olga Frolkina | Nina Glonti | Svetlana Gorshkova |
| Alexandra Kirina | Yulia Kozik | Daria Kolosovskaia | Elizaveta Krymova |
| Anastasia Kuplinova | Ksenia Kuzmina | Kseniia Levchenko | Zhosselina Maiga |
| Dzhein Morozova | Raisa Musina | Ekaterina Osipova | Ekaterina Polyashova |
| Kristina Safonova | Tatiana Sema | Maria Vadeeva | Veronika Varlamova |
The roster consists not only of that same golden generation, but also benefits from the addition of teenage ace Maria Vadeeva as Russia look to the formula which propelled them to the Final of the 2015 FIBA U19 Women's World Championship when they came close to toppling the USA.
Russia finished second on the podium at last year's FIBA U19 Women's World Championship
With Vadeeva on board, Russia could also lay claim to potentially having one of the best frontcourt rotations the youth game has seen. That is because they will also have her Sparta&K M.R. Vidnoje partner in the paint Raisa Musina, with the pair bringing EuroCup Women experience, while Tatiana Sema and Zhosselina Maiga have stepped out with Dynamo Kursk and Nadezhda Orenburg Region in EuroLeague Women.
The wings and backcourt will be well served with real quality too, in the shape of playmaker Kseniia Levchenko who will once again pull the strings.
Kolosovskaia led the way in Matosinhos two years ago
Meanwhile, the maturity of yet another Sparta&K sensation in Daria Kolosovskaia underlines what a brilliant chance they have of ending a six-year drought at U20 level. She was MVP when Russia rose to the top of the podium in 2014 and her leadership and maturity is off the chart for her tender years.
It's also the case that the backbone of their challenge will arise from the fact that these players are viewed as not only the future of Russian basketball - they are also the present.
The quintet of Levchenko, Kolosovskaia, Vadeeva, Musina and Maiga have already played roles in catapulting their nation to the brink of a place at FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017.
It means that few, if any other nations heading to this summer's FIBA U20 Women's European Championship will have a roster that boasts so many minutes at the very highest level.
Given this, and the added special relationship with Matosinhos in their hearts, Russia look to be the one team that everyone else needs to try and stop.
FIBA
