PITESTI (Romania) - There will be plenty of rising stars stepping out in Pitesti and ready to show their skills when the action tips off at the FIBA U16 Women's EuroBasket 2025.
The tournament will showcase some of the best young guns on the continent and you can use the fan poll below to cast your vote and tell us which player you think will have the biggest impact in the competition.
Firstly, here are the leading candidates to watch out for.
Ioana-Vanessa Velcea - Romania
GUARD
Birth Date: March 1, 2009 (16 years old) Height: 5ft 9in / 1.75 cm
Ready to be the hometown hero on Romanian soil, Velcea is a brilliant prospect who was MVP of Division B last summer and the heartbeat of her nation's rise to the top tier. She averaged almost 18 points per game and dished out 4.3 assists and grabbed 5 boards too. As if that was not enough, she was 14 years old when she played U20 two years ago. Now watch the young playmaker try to ensure Romania preserve their top flight status this summer.
Anastasija Jovanov - Serbia
GUARD
Birth Date: March 28, 2009 (16 years old) Height: 5ft 8in / 1.72 cm
Despite being one of the youngest members of the roster at last year's edition, Jovanov top scored for her team with 11 points per game and also averaged more minutes than anyone else. This underlines her importance and the guard will likely take even stronger steps this time around. She played well for Novosadska last season in her homeland and her ability to get downhill on offense and use her quick hands and IQ to get steals will be important.
Lara Csaplar-Nagy - Hungary
CENTER
Birth Date: June 11, 2009 (16 years old) Height: 6ft 2in / 1.89 cm
Her strength, size and poise in the paint will be a focal point of Hungary's campaign after the center came close to racking up a tournament double-double last year. A good finisher around the basket with decent shot selection too, if Csaplar-Nagy performs better from the free-throw line in 2025, she will harvest even bigger numbers. She played in the top Hungarian league last season against EuroLeague and EuroCup Women ballers, so will have grown a lot.
Sindija Sondore - Latvia
FORWARD
Birth Date: March 22, 2010 (15 years old) Height: 6ft 1in / 1.81 cm
The forward is a great prospect for Latvia and despite her young age, has already stepped out in EuroCup Women multiple times with TTT Riga. Sondore has also shown she has a scoring touch at this level with cameos off the bench. Skilled and smart, she was MVP last year at the U16 Champions Cup in Sopron. Now she could be ready to have a big impact in what will be her FIBA debut at U16 level and will likely to be a go-to figure for her team in Pitesti.
Iva Tabak - Croatia
SMALL FORWARD
Birth Date: April 14, 2009 (16 years old) Height: 5ft 10in / 1.77 cm
The forward was a solid contributor at the last edition in 2024 with more than 7 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists per game. She will look to turn the dial on her return, with her do-it-all style likely to be a key component of Croatia's challenge. Strong and assured, Tabak has honed her talent with ZKK Split in her homeland and one of the big 'X-factors' will be whether she can get her perimeter game fired up as that has been a regular sore point so far.
Claudia Lostal - Spain
FORWARD
Birth Date: January 8, 2009 (16 years old) Height: 6ft 0in / 1.83 cm
The Spanish captain is not necessarily the one that will put up huge numbers for her team, but she will still be a driving force and heartbeat, so must be watched. Harnessing her skills last season with Casademont Zaragoza, Lostal played at the 2024 edition and will use her craftiness, footwork and strength inside to make a decisive impact.
Kendra Bissa - France
CENTER
Birth Date: July 13, 2010 (15 years old) Height: 6ft 1in / 1.86 cm
Standing out in any French youth team is a challenge and Bissa is another baller who is unlikely to top a scoring chart. But she's a beast on the glass and could dunk when she was 14-years old. Powerful and with big potential, this is her second edition and incredibly she's still eligible to complete the hat-trick at the 2026 show.
Maija Honkonen - Finland
SMALL FORWARD
Birth Date: July 6, 2009 (16 years old) Height: 5ft 11in / 1.81 cm
Somehow matching the historic heroics of 2024 looks improbable for Finland, but if they do keep punching hard at the elite level then do-it-all captain Maija Honkonen could be key. The forward will bring the noise with her scoring touch and work on the boards. She was superb at U16 level in her homeland last season balling with BC Nokia.
Frederike Askamp - Germany
SMALL FORWARD
Birth Date: July 7, 2009 (16 years old) Height: 6ft 2in / 1.89 cm
A returnee from the last edition, Askamp could be one of the players to fuel a strong run for Germany who could be dark horses if they play well. The forward has height and a nice shooting range which will see her productivity rise at this year's tournament. She played well in the Youth Olympics and will possibly be her nation's 'X-Factor' baller.
Wiktoria Danych - Poland
GUARD
Birth Date: January 13, 2011 (14 years old) Height: 5ft 10in / 1.78 cm
Set to be one of the youngest players at the event if she makes the final cut, Danych is a scoring ace who can light it up all over the court. She has poured in so many points amongst her peers in Poland and also at higher age levels. Expect fireworks and a lot of hype if she does suit up, with her handles and firepower moving onto the radar.
FIBA