EuroBasket Women - Team profile: Croatia

KATOWICE (Eurobasket Women) - Croatia have not set the world on fire over the years in women's basketball but the players do seem to have discovered the meaning of the words experience and resilience.

There is no better way to describe the side that has competed at the EuroBasket Women in Poland this year.

Croatia, following the break-up of Yugoslavia, had eighth-place finishes at the European Championships for Women in 1995 and '99 while four years ago, the national team was brushed aside by Serbia, Belarus and Spain in the first round of the EuroBasket Women in Italy, losing the three games by a combined 55 points.

That is what one calls experience.

Now for resilience.

After receiving the worst beating of the EuroBasket Women this year at the hands of France on opening night, an 86-40 debacle that suggested Croatia were headed for an early exit, the side coached by Stipe Bralic not only rebounded but reached the Quarter-Finals.

It's fitting, too, that Sandra Mandir, a member of the side that was embarrassed in Italy, has led her country to within one victory of a spot in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

A 33-year-old mother, Mandir didn't know if she'd even be with Croatia this summer but Bralic gave her a call and asked her to captain the squad.

She seized the opportunity with both hands.

Croatia, after losing to France, could have folded up their tent and gone home.

But they fought the Greeks and behind Mandir, who played 37 minutes and had 19 points, five assists, five rebounds and two steals, won that Group D game at the death.

Mandir scored on a drive as the final seconds ticked off the clock.

Croatia didn't win the next two times out, blowing a 15-point lead against Latvia and falling 67-61, and then losing 81-60 to Montenegro.

Complicating their path was the loss of Ana Lelas to injury.

However, needing to win two straight games to advance to the last eight, they did.

With Lelas watching from the bench in street clothes and her arm in a sling, Croatia prevailed 64-56 over Poland and then on the last night of Round 2 action, they shocked Spain 75-71 to clinch a fourth-place finish in Group F and punch their ticket to the knockout phase.

Perhaps the most telling comment of all about Croatia had come after their heavy defeat to France.

Bralic complained that his players had been stuck in third gear.

'Fast' and 'faster' are the two speeds the coach wants to see when Croatia have the ball on offense.

Croatia's players do seem most dangerous when launching three-pointers like there's no tomorrow.

Playing with a determination and self-belief never seen in a Croatia team, it helped Bralic's side that his players hit Spain with an avalanche of three-pointers.

They finished nine of 22 for the game.

They also used the pick-and-roll often with moderate success.

It's why Mandir and Jelena Ivezic are so lethal because each can shoot three-pointers but each dribbles well, and has the ability to deliver defense-splitting passes.

Often on the pick-and-roll, Mandir and Ivezic will take the ball all the way to the basket instead of dumping it off to a teammate.

Croatia like to put up so many three-balls that it's not unusual to see their woman-mountain, the 1.99m Luca Ivankovic, a player some coaches might prefer to use as a battering ram down low, get in on the act.

Even she had trey in the upset of Spain.

The never-say-die spirit was most evident against Spain at the end.

With 6:30 remaining, Spain, who had trailed by 12 points, led 61-54.

Croatia answered with a 14-0 run and clinched victory.

Was it the most important triumph ever for Croatia?

Spain had reached the podium at every EuroBasket Women since 2001 and in 2010 captured a medal for the first time when taking bronze at the FIBA World Championship for Women.

Now, instead of everyone talking about Spain's inevitable march to the medals, they are talking about Croatia and their powers of recovery.

Jeff Taylor
FIBA