NEWCASTLE (Paul Nilsen's Women's Basketball Worldwide) - It was with some regret that I learned that Turkish national team guard Esmeral Tuncluer is to retire after the FIBA World Championship for Women.

It was also with sterling speed that I grabbed a pen and made a note to talk about this topic, long before she places those precious basketball shoes into her locker for good.

The reason? Well, I am sure that like everyone else, I will get swept along with the event and I expect that the headlines in whatever context, will surround the iconic Nevriye Yilmaz calling it a day - something she has already hinted she is likely to do.

Therefore I strongly suspect that the retirement of Tuncluer isn't likely to get the attention it deserves.

In many ways, this reflects how she probably doesn't get wider recognition for her role in having helped Turkey deliver a EuroBasket Women bronze medal last year and a fifth-place finish in their maiden Olympic apperance the year before.

Within Turkish women's basketball itself, everyone knows that Tuncluer has and still is (for another few months at least) a cornerstone of the team's success.

She is a pillar of strength in the backcourt, mostly coming off the bench to lend a steady hand and unflappable, assured calmness to proceedings.

Outside of Turkey, it's easy to see how what she does for the team might fade into the background and lack kudos.

She perhaps unfairly stands behind the current big-hitters such as Yilmaz and her backcourt partners in crime, Birsel Vardarli and Isil Alben.

Rewind the clock a few years ago and Tuncluer was the main offensive threat during two EuroBasket Women qualification campaigns - statistics to underline her all-round value.

Indeed there are many more numbers which do this.

Because, while it is true that Tuncluer is not necessarily as a big a name as some of her national colleagues, she is just as big a favourite in the eyes of head coach Ceyhun Yildizoglu.

It is probably an overlooked fact that she actually played more minutes per game at EuroBasket Women 2013 than Alben or Yilmaz.

Meanwhile at London 2012, she played more minutes than both Vardarli and Yilmaz.

And, that is what defines the beauty of Tuncluer - she is a coach's player from top to bottom.

She might not always feature on the highlights reel or capture the imagination of the media as others do, but this shouldn't detract from her superb contributions.

It is just such a pity she wasn't able to line-up at either EuroBasket Women 2009 or 2011 (when Turkey reached the Final) having been on fire during both qualifying rounds.

At club level, Tuncluer has been an integral part of the Fenerbahce team that, up until the end of last season, had enjoyed domestic dominance.

She won (I think) six successive Turkish Championships with the team.

And, what is truly important now is that in years to come, when we discuss the rise to prominence of Turkey as a women's basketball power, we remember just how much Tuncluer did in bringing this to fruition.

A marvellous team player and so brilliantly versatile, I would love to see Esmeral bow out on a high note in October.

She deserves it.

Indeed when the shutters on the cameras all fire rapidly at Yilmaz - as is perhaps to be expected - I hope someone points the lens at Tuncluer.

While not exactly an unsung hero, she deserves some of the limelight as someone who has already given so much to both her country and the connoisseurs of the women's game.

Paul Nilsen

FIBA

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