MUNICH (Germany) - There was plenty of drama and talking points on opening night of the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2027 Qualifiers as 26 teams all stepped onto the court to start their journey towards trying to book their place the next edition of the famous tournament.
Croatia took the headlines by winning a thriller against Greece, while Slovenia also came out on top in their crunch clash against Latvia which could prove pivotal in the final shake-up.
Elsewhere, North Macedonia won a nail-biter against Denmark and Israel came from behind to win a shootout in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Key Storylines
Nika Muhl shines in first outing in the competition as Croatia inflict pain on Greece;
Zala Friskovec and Teja Oblak provide a potent one-two punch for Slovenia;
North Macedonia breathe sigh of relief after only just slipping past Denmark;
Holly Winterburn unstoppable for the Brits;
Israel and Bosnia and Herzegovina serve up an offensive treat.
Gameday 1 Highs
Efficiency: Valeria Aleksieva (Bulgaria) - 31 Points: Alyssa Barron (Israel) - 27 Rebounds: Daniel Raber (Israel) - 16 Assists: Andjelika Mitrashinovikj (North Macedonia), Alina Iagupova (Ukraine) - 11 Steals: Valeria Aleksieva (Bulgaria) - 6 Blocks: Multiple Players - 3
Muhl magic fuels Croatia's chances as they move past Greece
The eagerly-anticipated debut of Nika Muhl for Croatia proved to be worth the wait as the fan favorite led her team to a priceless and perhaps surprise 76-73 Group F victory against Greece.
The road win was founded on the guard's excellent 21 points, 7 assists and leadership - as well as her team's scorching start to the second half.
That gave them the cushion they needed to cling onto a vital victory, although it was marred when Muhl had to leave the court injured in the closing minutes. Croatia will also be thankful to Ana-Marija Begic who is only just back from injury herself. She played a perfect cameo with 10 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals, with Shavonte Zellous also influential with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Also in Group F, a three-pronged attack for North Macedonia helped them edge a nail-biting 79-78 success against Denmark. Andjelika Mitrashinovikj stepped up with a fabulous 14 points and 11 assists, Ilina Selcova was a rock with 17 points, 5 boards and 3 assists, while Merritt Hempe wrote the headlines with 25 points and 6 rebounds.
Oblak and Friskovec on fire to cement Slovenia success
It was picked out as one of the games to watch and it didn't disappoint as Slovenia came up with a vital 77-66 win against Latvia to hand new head coach David Gaspar a debut success. It was the backcourt that did the business, with captain Teja Oblak pulling the strings and finishing with 20 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists.
The firepower of Zala Friscovec also helped to seal the deal as she added 22 points and 8 rebounds before fouling out. The game was on the balance until midway through the last quarter when the hosts made their move. Anete Steinberga replied with 13 points and 9 boards for Latvia, while Digna Strautmane has 11 points and 10 rebounds.
In the other game in Group C, Poland took a 62-55 win over Slovakia, having to fend off a late rescue mission by their opponents to get over the line. Stephanie Mavunga starred for the winning team with 15 points and 10 boards.
Winterburn puts on a show for Great Britain
Holly Winterburn stamped her class all over Great Britain's 85-64 Group D victory against Switzerland as the guard took control in a big way. Firing 20 points in as many minutes, she eventually stepped off the floor having bagged 26 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals.
That laid the platform for new head coach Stella Kaltsidou to take her first win at the first attempt, also helped by a smart 16 points from Cheridene Green, plus 12 points and 8 boards from Temi Fagbenle.
Baron-inspired Israel outlast Bosnia and Herzegovina
One of the most entertaining games came in Group A as Israel won 98-91 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The home side had hoped that the presence of newly naturalized star Kamiah Smalls might hand them victory, but Israel had other ideas - even if the Galatasaray guard came up with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Coming back from a double-digit deficit, Alyssa Baron poured in 27 points, with Daniel Raber also showing her quality by accumulating a monumental double-double of 16 points and 16 rebounds - as well as 7 assists.
Results
Wednesday, November 12
Group A Ireland 53-69 Luxembourg Bosnia and Herzegovina 91-98 Israel Group B Estonia 54-92 Netherlands Slovenia 77-66 Latvia Group C Cyprus 62-75 Romania Slovakia 55-62 Poland
Group D Great Britain 85-64 Switzerland Austria 63-48 Norway
Group E Azerbaijan 141-48 Bulgaria Montenegro 65-71 Ukraine Group F Greece 73-76 Croatia North Macedonia 79-78 Denmark Group G Iceland 59-84 Serbia
Thursday, November 13
Group H Sweden vs Lithuania Belgium vs Finland
FIBA