VALENCIA (Jeff Taylor's Eurovision) - If you are a fan of the women's game, and especially basketball in Europe, this is a Sunday of mixed emotions.

One of the continent's great champions, the player that Czech Republic national team coach Lubor Blazek once called his "golden arm", Eva Viteckova, has announced her retirement.

Viteckova had already planned this would be her last year but has revealed that she is expecting a child and therefore stopping immediately.

A class act on and off the court, the 33-year-old Viteckova served as an inspiration for many a young player in her homeland for more than 15 years.

She has been a model professional.

Viteckova was never one for exuberant, over-the-top celebrations, or "trash talk".

She was cool, calm and collected.

Viteckova was a silent assassin.

When the 1.90m forward got hot and started pouring in the points, she had no equals.

There are four defining moments in the sport for Viteckova.

The first was 2001, when her country hosted the World Championship for Junior Women and Viteckova was just 19.

The native of Nove Mesto na Morave-born lit up the tournament and led her team to the top of the podium.

Viteckova averaged a team-high 16.4 points and poured in a game-high 29 in the all-important 92-88 Semi-Final triumph over the United States, a side that had Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter.

The Czechs then got 18 points from one of their other emerging stars, Jana Vesela, and defeated Russia, 82-80, for the title.

That tournament served as a launchpad for Viteckova and the Czechs to become one of the great teams in European basketball.

At the EuroBasket Women in Izmir, Turkey four years later, Viteckova led her team to the gold medal.

Viteckova shot an eye-popping 50 percent (21 of 42) from beyond the arc and led the Czechs in scoring at 14.9 points per game.

In every single contest, Viteckova hit double-digits in points and in five of the eight games - all Czech wins - she connected from long range three or more times.

The third great moment for Viteckova came in 2006, when she celebrated a EuroLeague Women crown with Gambrinus Brno.

She buried an unworldly 56.9 percent (33 of 58) shots from three-point range that season, by far the best in the competition.

Last but not least, Viteckova led the Czechs in scoring, averaging 16.4 points as they reached the Final of the 2010 FIBA World Championship for Women.

It was at the tournament where she underlined her greatness in a three-game stretch that left some fans in awe.

After drilling five three-balls and scoring 24 points in an 84-70 win over Brazil, she killed defending champions Australia with a game-high 27 points in a 79-68 Czech triumph.

In that clash, she also had five-pointers.

Then in an 81-77 Semi-Final overtime victory against Belarus, Viteckova poured in a team-high 21 points.

After the Czechs fell to the United States in the Final, she was named to the all-tournament team.

Viteckova is a three-time Olympian.

My prediction is she will enter the FIBA Hall of Fame one day.

All players have disappointments, and for Viteckova, her biggest occurred on 7 August, 2012, at the London Games.

After overcoming a slow start to the tournament, the Czechs were within touching distance of a spot in the Semi-Finals but they blew a lead against France and lost, 71-68.

The Czechs carried a 10-point advantage into the fourth quarter but were outscored 30-17 the rest of the way.

That tournament had been Viteckova's best chance to get an Olympic medal.

The loss to France in the London Olympic Quarter-Final will probably haunt me for a long time - Viteckova

"This [loss to France] is probably one of few things that I regret from my career," Viteckova said.

There are many more good memories for Viteckova than bad, though.

"When I started, I didn't think I would play at the Olympics three times, that I would be a European champion or have a medal from the World Championship.

"This is something incredible and I appreciate all of these achievements."

Viteckova, one of the game's top players, never got caught up in the hype.

"I think I'm still the girl from Zdar (near Nove Mesto na Morave) and I do not feel like a star," she said.

Eva, congratulations on a terrific career.

Best of luck as you enter a new and exciting stage in your life.

Jeff Taylor

FIBA

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