PITESTI (Romania) - With the Group Phase complete, several players have already made strong statements at the FIBA U16 Women's EuroBasket.
As the competition heads into the knockout stages, here are 10 key prodigies who have dazzled with their impact and showcased the talent they already bring to their teams.
Anastasia Lishchuk - Spain
CENTER
Birth Date: Dec 6, 2011 (14 years old) Height: 203 cm / 6’7” Tournament Stats: 18.3 EFF; 11.0PPG, 5.7RPG, 4.3SPG, 2.3BPG
At just 14 years old, Anastasia Lishchuk has been the a figure for a Spain side that has been utterly dominant in the Group Phase. She leads the tournament in overall efficiency at 18.3 and has shown tremendous confidence at both ends of the floor, averaging 11.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.3 steals and 2.3 blocks per game. The sky is the limit.
Veronika Ferjancic - Slovenia
POWER FORWARD
Birth Date:Jun 14, 2010 (16 years old) Height:191 cm / 6'3" Tournament Stats: 16.7 EFF; 14.7 PPG, 7.7RPG, 1.3SPG, 1.7BPG
Slovenia's main juggernaut so far, Veronika Ferjancic leads the team in efficiency, points, rebounds, and blocks per game through her tenacity, competitive nature, and high basketball IQ. She has guided the Slovenians to an unbeaten record so far, and she has led them to that mark.
Amelia Alonso - Spain
POWER FORWARD
Birth Date: Jan 21, 2010 (16 years old) Height: 187 cm / 6'1" Tournament Stats: 16.7 EFF; 14.7 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 5.0 SPG
With an astonishing six players averaging in double digits for points on the Spanish roster, Amelia Alonso leads them all with 14.7 points on 50 percent shooting with 10 field goal attempts per game. She also has 5.0 steals in her stat line, including an eye-popping 10 against Poland, as part of a double-double with 19 points.
Nadine Graudina - Latvia
SHOOTING GUARD
Birth Date: Mar 20, 2010 (16 years old) Height: 174 cm / 5'8" Tournament Stats: 11.7 EFF; 16.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.3APG
After a slow start against Türkiye, Nadine Graudina bounced back to post back-to-back 20-point games against Israel and Italy to showcase her talents, averaging 16.7 points and 5.3 rebounds on a solid 40 percent from three-point range. On her day, a deadly offensive threat.
Kimberley Kanayan N’Simba - France
POINT GUARD
Birth Date: May 20, 2010 (16 years old) Height:165 cm / 5’4” Tournament Stats: 13.3 EFF; 12.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 4.0 APG, 2.3 SPG
For a player averaging just 19 minutes per game, Kimberley Kanayan N'Simba gets a lot done on a loaded France side that sailed through the Group Phase unbeaten. An attacking point guard who defines energy and hustle, she averages 12 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game, while also getting 2.3 steals for good measure.
Michal Abudram - Israel
POWER FORWARD
Birth Date: Jul 27, 2010 (16 years old) Height: 182 cm / 5'11" Tournament Stats: 17.7 EFF; 16.0 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 2.0 BPG
Leading the way for Israel in all categories except for assists, Michal Abudram's exceptional double-double against Türkiye, where she had 21 points and 10 rebounds, was her standout performance so far, and she has flirted with double-doubles in her previous two encounters as well. A talented scorer who can get it done both inside and out.
Urte Gureviciute - Lithuania
POINT GUARD
Birth Date: Feb 9, 2010 (16 years old) Height: 180 cm / 5'10" Tournament Stats: 14.0 EFF; 21.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 0.7 APG
A high-volume scorer, Lithuania's Urte Gureviciute leads the tournament with 21.3 points per game on a solid 54 percent shooting, but what's most impressive is that she is smart with her shot selection and does most of her damage inside the arc. She would love to trade her points tallies for wins, as her side heads to the Round of 16, 0-3, but a sensational scoring machine.
Bianca-Ioana Stan - Romania
FORWARD
Birth Date: Mar 23, 2010 (16 years old) Height: 173 cm / 5'8" Tournament Stats: 12.2 EFF; 15.0 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 2.0 SPG
Averaging a double-double so far in this tournament, Bianca-Ioana Stan has been outstanding on both ends of the floor for the host nation, posting 15.0 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. Her efforts have been in vain so far, as Romania are 0-3 going into the Round of 16, but you can't deny the heart of a competitor that Stan has.
Kadriye Erva Ozek - Türkiye
POINT GUARD
Birth Date: Mar 21, 2010 (16 years old) Height: 173 cm / 5'8" Tournament Stats: 12.0 EFF; 9.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 7.7 APG, 6.0 SPG
Kadriye Erva Ozek leads the tournament with an astounding 6.0 steals per game; the point guard has been a defensive menace throughout the first three games, helping Türkiye to a 2-1 record heading into the Round of 16. On the offensive side, Ozek can put points on the board, but has rather shared the ball and has shown terrific court vision to get her teammates involved.
Cloe Perini - Italy
FORWARD
Birth Date: Aug 3, 2010 (16 years old) Height: 183 cm / 6'0" Tournament Stats: 17.3 EFF; 8.3 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 1.3 BPG
A double-double of 15 points and 14 rebounds against Latvia was the perfect momentum builder for Italy's Cloe Perini ahead of the Round of 16. She pulled down 17 rebounds against Türkiye, showcasing her dominance on the boards, but has struggled to put the ball in the basket. Her performance against the Latvians was what we can expect from her.
FIBA