NEWCASTLE (Paul Nilsen's Women's Basketball Worldwide) - A beautiful and historic chapter was closed last week as Marina Maljkovic opted to step down as the head coach of Serbia.

It was a case of mission accomplished. In fact, that's probably inaccurate. It was more a case of fairytale accomplished!

A first-ever EuroBasket Women title secured on a glorious night in Budapest in 2015 and then a bronze medal in Rio at a maiden Olympic appearance for Serbia's women.

Serbia claimed a medal on their Olympic debut last summer

Few people read the script and you could write a book on the last four years. It would be a real page turner.

Never before has a locker room had quite as much exuberance and personality. Maljkovic was the safety valve which managed it quite exquisitely - something every bit as important as the technical elements.

Quite rightly, her legacy will be headlined by gold and bronze – two famous nights that will never be forgotten. But for me at least, there are many more important memories and elements which underpin the magnificent tip of this pyramid.

Back at EuroBasket Women 2013 in France, it almost went horribly wrong for Maljkovic as Serbia were nearly dumped out at the first hurdle. They lost to Great Britain in their opening game and suffered a 76-32 humiliation to France.

Then they trailed against Latvia in a do-or-die game and were heading towards the exit door, before eventually pulling the situation around.

This game changed everything.

By beating Latvia in 2013, Serbia avoided being dumped out with an 0-3 record.

They took their second chance with both hands as they subsequently won five games in a row to reach the Semi-Finals in Orchies. Yet so many people dismissed it as a one-off - a flash in the pan.

I didn't and tipped them to perform well at their first FIBA Women's World Championship appearance [another historic accomplishment for Maljkovic often forgotten about]. As it turned out, they could and indeed should, have made the Semi-Finals. They received the thin end of the wedge in terms of decisions when they faced hosts Turkey in the Quarter-Finals.

A year later, I tipped them to challenge for the title at EuroBasket Women 2015 and was laughed at. The key was always Maljkovic managing the locker room. The play-caller and the Federation were also laughed at by many people when they opted for Danielle Page as their naturalised player.

Yet at the time, after considering the widespread scepticism, I got it. They didn't need a big scoring 'foreigner' with yet more personality or ego. They secured exactly what they needed. A hard-nosed worker who would put the team first.

Page was a roaring success and sang the Serbian national anthem louder than any of her colleagues after diligently learning it via YouTube and a national team colleague. It spoke volumes about her upsides.

Serbia had huge support on an unforgettable night in Budapest and they did it. They defied the doubters, the haters and the phlegmatic Maljkovic triumphed - even affording herself a rare smile.

They put Serbian women's basketball on the mainstream sporting map.

It booked Serbia their maiden Olympic berth. I tipped them to challenge for the podium. I got laughed at. They lost their opening three games. I got laughed at even more. But they did it yet again.

They beat France for bronze, just as they had done against Les Bleues for the EuroBasket Women title in 2015.

As Serbia took their place on the podium on both occasions, my mind flashed back to that humiliating loss against France in 2013, and that watershed game against Latvia shortly afterwards.

I wondered at the same time if Coach Maljkovic had perhaps been thinking about that very same thing.

Thanks for the memories and hats off to a truly magnificent and highly entertaining four years. 

Paul Nilsen

FIBA

FIBA's columnists write on a wide range of topics relating to basketball that are of interest to them. The opinions they express are their own and in no way reflect those of FIBA.

FIBA takes no responsibility and gives no guarantees, warranties or representations, implied or otherwise, for the content or accuracy of the content and opinion expressed in the above article.