Something special in Sweden
24/11/2015
Paul Nilsen's Women's Basketball Worldwide
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Something special in Sweden

NEWCASTLE (Paul Nilsen's Women's Basketball Worldwide) - I have been a big fan of many things which the Swedish Basketball Federation have done to bring their nation to the fore in recent years.

Their rise to prominence came to fruition three years ago when they punched a ticket for EuroBasket Women Final Round for the first time since 1987 and then served up a wonderfully engaging and compelling campaign in France.

One of the aspects of their re-entry to the competition in Vannes back in 2013 was the sheer volume, colour and noise of their travelling fans. It was then replicated earlier this summer when they followed their team with similar verve in Sopron at EuroBasket Women 2015.

Although disappointed by an early exit from the competition, having been touted as potential Quarter-Finalists [losing games they probably could and should have won], the appetite of the supporters has not diminished.

In fact, it looks as if Sweden have made one of the most significant breakthroughs in the women's game anywhere on the globe.

Sounds like a bit of a grandiose statement?

Well it needs to be, since the Federation witnessed the tickets for last Saturday's EuroBasket Women 2017 qualifying opener against Spain hurtle out of the box-office at an unprecedented rate of knots.

They sold out all 2,000 tickets for the clash in Sodertalje almost two months ago.

Considering the potential hangover from their lack of anticipated success in Hungary and taking into account this is no Final and merely the opening game of a qualification programme, it is something that fully deserves to be highlighted and treated with a headline.

It is a tremendous response from the Swedish basketball public.

With Farhiya Abdi and Amanda Zahui able to commit in the newly drawn up qualifying window which doesn't clash with their WNBA commitments, it has solidified and arguably further ramped up the interest.

Of course even without the duo, Sweden have such an engaging core - including EuroLeague Women sister act Elin and Frida Eldebrink, centre Louice Halvarsson, the dynamic and naturalised Ashley Key - along with the hard-as-nails veteran Anna Barthold, beautifully epitomising the spirit.

In the end they flunked on the court and flunked badly.

Tough loss saturday! We fall as a team and we rise as a team! We are fighters! We will bounce back! 🇸🇪🏀🇸🇪

A photo posted by Elin Eldebrink (@elineldebrink) on

Spain poured not just a bucket but of cold water onto the parade, but a deluge as Sancho Lyttle showed her MVP qualities in a sparkling 75-52 Spanish win.

As the air hissed out of the deflating yellow and blue balloons, there was cause to feel disappointed. After all, I had expected Sweden to push Spain hard and they just didn't perform.

It happens though.

I still think the absence of Lyttle at EuroBasket Women last June was diluted by too many people - she is a defensive colossus and not bad down the other end of the floor either.

Even if the result was negative, the demand and respect for the players by the sporting public is something that needs to be cherished and clung on to.

Yes, there were bigger crowds around Europe (well covered by my fellow FIBA columnist Jeff Taylor), but with seven weeks of no tickets being available because they had all gone, who knows what scale of venue the Swedish could have filled?

It certainly looks like Sweden now have a group of fans to rival the Finland 'Wolf-Pack' in the men's game and ironically their neighbours are the other team in the group!

It's just now vitally important that one disappointing result against a class and champions team doesn't slow down this magical momentum off the floor - and especially as it is a full year until the next competitive game on home soil.

Paul Nilsen

FIBA

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Paul Nilsen

Paul Nilsen

As a women's basketball specialist for FIBA and FIBA Europe, Paul Nilsen eats, sleeps and breathes women’s hoops and is incredibly passionate about promoting the women’s game - especially at youth level. In Women’s Basketball Worldwide, Paul scours the globe for the very latest from his beloved women’s basketball family.