STOCKHOLM (Sweden) - With the Group Phase complete, several players have already made a strong impression at the FIBA U18 Women's EuroBasket.
As the competition heads into the knockout stages, here are 10 key performers who have caught the eye with their impact, showcasing the quality and influence they have brought to both their teams and the tournament.
Olivia Vukosa - Croatia
POWER FORWARD
Birth Date: Sep 7, 2006 (17 years old) Height: 194 cm / 6’4” Tournament Stats: 30.3 EFF; 27.7 PPG, 16.3 RPG, 2.3 SPG, 1.7 BPG
Olivia Vukosa has been the undoubted star of the Croatian side throughout the U18 Women’s EuroBasket. She leads the tournament in points and rebounds, and whenever she gets the ball, you feel like it’s either going to be a score or a trip to the free throw line, where Vukosa averages 11 trips per game. However, she would trade her jaw-dropping stats for a win, as Croatia head into the Round of 16 with a 0-3 record.
Zuzanna Marczynska - Poland
POWER FORWARD
Birth Date: Jan 17, 2008 (18 years old) Height: 183 cm / 6'0" Tournament Stats: 20.3 EFF; 15.0 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.7 SPG
Zuzanna Marczynska has been pivotal in Poland’s unbeaten run in the tournament so far, with solid averages and she has also shown great intelligence in her play as well, with the performance against Latvia pinpointing why, as she struggled from the field, going 0-for-7, but found a way to get involved, pulling down 16 rebounds and attacking the basket, which resulted in 10 trips to the free throw line, making all 10.
Laura Vilcinskas - Belgium
CENTER
Birth Date: Jun 8, 2008 (18 years old) Height: 196 cm / 6'5" Tournament Stats: 19.7 EFF, 15PPG, 9.3 RPG, 1.3SPG, 3.7BPG
After a slow start to the tournament against Finland, Laura Vilcinskas has done what any good player would do: bounce back. After shooting 1-for-7 against Finland, she sprung back with 22 points and 12 boards against Sweden and 18 points and 9 rebounds against Italy. Showcasing her dominance inside at both ends, particularly on the offensive glass, where she averages 4.3 offensive boards.
Aurelie Vanderstraeten - Belgium
POWER FORWARD
Birth Date: Jun 18, 2008 (18 years old) Height: 187 cm / 6'1" Tournament Stats: 17.7 EFF; 16.7 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.0 APG
Aurelie Vanderstraeten made a statement in Belgium’s opening game, when she hit six three-pointers and went 10-for-14 from the field for 26 points in her side’s win over Finland. In three games, she has maintained her field goal percentage, shooting 50 percent, and has been another of Belgium’s key players in their unbeaten start to the tournament.
Anna Gardziella - Finland
SMALL FORWARD
Birth Date: Mar 17, 2008 (18 years old) Height: 186 cm / 6'1" Tournament Stats: 17.3 EFF; 15.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 4.3 APG, 2.7 SPG
One of the key players from Finland’s run to last year’s Final, Anna Gardziella has continued where she left off with stellar numbers across the board, including shooting 42 percent from three-point range. She opens the floor up for her teammates and has undoubtedly been one of the best wings in this tournament so far.
Anna Smykovskaia - Spain
CENTER
Birth Date: Jan 10, 2008 (18 years old) Height: 196 cm / 6'5" Tournament Stats: 16.0 EFF; 11.0 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 2.0 APG
The reigning champions, Spain, have been flawless during the Group Phase, averaging 76.3 points and only conceding a phenomenal 33.3 points per contest, and the player pulling the strings has been Anna Smykovskaia, who has been the leader under the basket, averaging a whopping 6.7 offensive rebounds per game, along with posting double-double numbers in Spain’s first three games.
Mila Luzgina - Latvia
POINT GUARD
Birth Date: Oct 6, 2006 (17 years old) Height: 172 cm / 5'7" Tournament Stats: 14.3 EFF; 16.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.7 SPG
Latvia’s Mila Luzgina has filled the statsheet in her side’s three games so far, and has shot the ball with deadly accuracy from beyond the arc, shooting 50 percent on an average of 3.3 attempts per contest. She has been the lead conductor for Latvia’s offense throughout the Group Phase and a pivotal part of what they can achieve next in the Round of 16.
Cameron Kolissoko - France
POINT GUARD
Birth Date: Jan 6, 2008 (18 years old) Height: 170 cm / 5'6" Tournament Stats: 13.0 EFF; 3.0 PPG, 6.7 SPG, 4.3 APG
France head into the Round of 16 with a 3-0 record, and at the heart of it all has been defensive terror Cameron Kolissoko, who, upon first glance, isn’t setting the tournament on fire when you see the primary stats, such as points and rebounds. But when you see that she averages video-game numbers for steals (6.7), then you notice her impact. Kolissoko reads her opponent and the plays, anticipating perfectly what they’re going to do and turns it around into easy steals and – for the majority of the time – easy points for France.
Francesca Baldassarre - Italy
GUARD
Birth Date: Jan 15, 2006 (18 years old) Height: 175 cm / 5'8" Tournament Stats: 13.0 EFF; 20.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.7 SPG
Italy’s silent assassin throughout the first three games, Francesca Baldassarre is second in scoring through smart attacking play that has led her to an efficient 19-for-20 from the free-throw line during the Group Phase, as well as shooting 41 percent from the field. Defensively, she’s been a pest, getting 1.7 steals as the Round of 16 begins.
Milena Vujovic – Montenegro
POINT GUARD
Birth Date: Feb 12, 2008 (18 years old) Height: 169 cm / 5'6" Tournament Stats: 10.7 EFF; 18.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.3 SPG
Montenegro’s main offensive weapon, Milena Vujovic, was a scoring machine in the first two games against Türkiye and Slovenia, going for 26 and 24 points, respectively. The skilled point guard stumbled against the defensive juggernaut of Spain but has shown how capable she is of putting the ball in the basket from anywhere, shooting 46 percent from two-point land and 41 percent from beyond the arc.
FIBA