France let young guns go, Sweden make changes

PARIS/STOCKHOLM (EuroBasket Women 2015) - France head coach Valerie Garnier will not be handing a dream EuroBasket Women Final Round debut to young guns Aby Gaye or Sara Chevaugeon.

The rising stars were both released from camp during the Lyon Tournament which saw them pick up court time against Great Britain as Les Bleues won the event with a win against Slovak Republic (74-55) and a nail-biting loss against Serbia (64-63).

Chevaugeon will still play for coach Garnier this year having completed a switch to Tango Bourges at club level.

"Sara Chevaugeon and Aby Gaye invested themselves flawlessly, but there is a lot of competition at their posts," explained Garnier.

"This internship in Lyon was the first of the preparation and it aimed to harmonise us after a gruelling season for some and also start implementing our game plan.

"We must continue in this direction and much remains to be done before the start of EuroBasket Women."

It means the candidate list is now down to 15 names and includes 11 of the players who stepped out at the FIBA Women's World Championship in Turkey last year.

With Isabelle Yacoubou also on the list along with Valeriane Ayayi, who is looking to make a return to the team having played at Final Round two years ago on home soil.

The two new faces still in contention include electrifying point guard and youth star Olivia Epoupa, along with the versatile Sarah Michel who played so impressively in EuroCup Women last season with Nantes Reze.

France now move on to the Tarbes stage of their preparation programme.

France preliminary squad for EuroBasket Women 2015: Marielle Amant, Valeriane Ayayi, Ana Maria Cata-Chitiga, Helena Ciak, Celine Dumerc, Olivia Epoupa, Emilie Gomis, Sandrine Gruda, Anael Lardy, Sarah Michel, Endene Miyem, Paoline Salagnac, Gaelle Skrela, Ingrid Tanqueray, Diandra Tchatchouang, Isabelle Yacoubou.

Meanwhile, for Sweden, Farhiya Abdi is to make a decision in the coming days as to whether she will finally step out for her country at senior level in a major tournament and is one of 15 names left on the Swedish candidate list for Final Round.

Head coach Lars Johansson has lost Frida Aili and Agnes Nordstrom to injuries - although the latter may recover sufficiently to be considered as a late replacement for the tournament if required.

Also no longer on the roster are Tanya Massamba, Malin Aasa, Katarina Andersson, Ellen Nystrom, Alice Nystrom and Johanna Kallman.

The Swedes had a productive trip to Poland, registering two wins in as many days over the host country, to show why some people are pencilling them in as dark horses to make a deep run in the tournament next month.

Lars Johansson and his team followed up their 75-57 win in the first meeting with a 67-56 victory in the second game.

Frida Eldebrink amassed 14 points in both outings, while there was a first taste of the action with Poland for the naturalised Julie McBride who made a couple of solid contributions in defeat.

Sweden preliminary squad for EuroBasket Women 2015: Kadidja Andersson, Frida Aili, Anna Barthold, Binta Drammeh, Elisabeth Egnell, Elin Eldebrink, Frida Eldebrink, Maryam Gultekin, Louice Halvarsson, Danielle Hamilton Carter, Ulrika Holmqvist, Ashley Key, Martina Staalvant, Josefin Vesterberg, Stefanie Yderstrom.

Go to eurobasketwomen2015.com for full coverage of EuroBasket Women 2015.

FIBA