BERLIN (Germany) - Nobody would be surprised if Emma Meesseman adds to her already astonishing career resume by inspiring Belgium to historic success at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026.
Chasing a first-ever global medal, it feels like the last landmark accomplishment this amazing Cats' group still has left to conquer.
During the last decade or so, Belgium have enjoyed a spectacular rise to prominence on the world stage. While playing some amazing team basketball, there's no argument their success had been led by the majestic Meesseman. A tour de force, she has been at the center of the Cats' players enjoying unprecedented support from Belgian fans and becoming the most popular sports team in the country.
For the first time, the forward has reflected on her entire FIBA career in a special in-depth read.
From her formative years at FIBA youth tournaments to maiden World Cup and Olympic appearances, as well as first ever Women's EuroBasket medals and titles. But, it hasn't all been as smooth as it might look from outside. In fact, it's been a thrilling roller coaster ride with many highs, but also some lows.
Exciting opening chapters
Just 15 years old, Meesseman started her FIBA journey at the FIBA U16 Women's EuroBasket 2008, a year later returning to the same competition and winning a silver medal at the 2009 edition and being crowned MVP.
It was a sign of things to come, with Meesseman also helping Belgium to make the Semi-Finals of the U17 Worlds and then getting crowned FIBA U18 Women's EuroBasket champions - as well as landing another MVP honor in the process. But it isn't the results, medals or awards that stand out the most.
"I think if you look back it was more important than I realized, because it showed me how fun international basketball is, and that I actually wanted to continue doing that," reflected Meesseman.
I think that's what I remember most, not necessarily the basketball itself or whatever we did, but just those moments off the court.
"Both playing for the national team and also seeing the world. I think that was something I was always looking forward to.
"Just being a kid and you know, dealing with all the stress together. But also we had so much fun in the hotels and there were more limits as a kid, like we couldn't go out and discover things, but we were making so many cool moments.
"Also, you started getting to know the other teams. If it was your second championship or your third, then you saw the same people coming back. And then now, I'm actually playing with those people from all over the world.
"I think that's what I remember most, not necessarily the basketball itself or whatever we did, but just those moments off the court."
A fairytale first podium finish
Rather than a smooth transition from youth to senior success, it took a little longer than most anticipated. But in 2017, everything changed when Belgium returned to the FIBA Women's EuroBasket for the first time in a decade.
They also claimed their first ever medal by landing bronze in Prague, Czechia, with Meesseman leading the way and making the All-Star Five. "I remember we had a lot of sessions with a mental coach [before the tournament] and we were saying, 'What's your goal?' And our first goal was, 'okay, not being the last' or 'maybe reaching the top eight'.
"But then we just kept going into 'what would be like an amazing goal?' There were these steps in what kind of goal it would be. And like also an exceptional goal - the one that we would dream of which would probably not happen. And, that was gonna be a medal.
"And then, it actually turned out to be a medal!"
"It kinda supported my approach. The step-by-step part, where we would just take it game by game and also enjoy taking pleasure in every single moment - which we did. Everything was new for us since it was our first and we had no guarantee there was gonna be a next time." "For all we knew, it was gonna be a once in a lifetime." "We were taking in every single moment, and those sessions where we'd go step by step and, ask what would be the most impossible thing that you would call a goal - a medal, and we did it."
The Cats' incredible World Cup debut
The bonus of Belgium stepping onto their first ever podium was that it also qualified them to the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup for the first time. And, they made the most of it - soaring to the Semi-Finals at Tenerife 2018 on their debut appearance in a global competition - with Meesseman securing another All-Star Five spot. "We had a continuity and it turned out to be so important for our growth. I think our first two or three years was all our first times," stated Meesseman. "If you ask me what tournament was the most amazing, it's still those two - the first one in 2017 and also Tenerife because of that feeling of writing history for your country. We were all together and it was so unbelievable."
"Everybody in Belgium still remembers the article you wrote, The Day Belgium Saved Women's Basketball, about the way that Belgium brings out beautiful team basketball - and that was really what we enjoyed doing the most. And we still try to do that now.
"In Tenerife we went with the thought of the same approach - step by step, but also 'what are we gonna do on the world level?' But we kinda confirmed that our medal in 2017 was not an accident. "So for us, that was confirmation towards the future. It was like, 'wait a second, the Olympics' - and that question mark kinda being erased. "We didn't get a medal in Tenerife but we actually beat some great teams."
Falling short for the first time
When Belgium went to FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2019, there was a real buzz after two fabulous years leading up to the event. But things didn't go to the script as the Cats' had to settle for a 5th place finish. "It was hard, because that was the first time where we had to deal with expectations," reflected Meesseman.
"And I think our first year of basketball in the World Cup, there were zero expectations from ourselves - and from outside. Now all of a sudden, the press was saying 'Oh, a Belgium medal, a gold medal. Why not?' "And I don't think we were able to deal with it. We were denying it - that that was a thing. But I think somewhere it affected us more than we'd like to admit. It was a learning process. "In the end, we still managed to qualify for the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament which was our main goal. So I'm happy we at least did that."
And, playing on home soil in Ostend the following February, Belgium made up for coming up short in Serbia by punching a ticket to the Olympics for the first time.
However, the Covid pandemic struck a few weeks later and the renewed momentum was halted.
A bitter-sweet podium return
The Olympic calendar was then famously changed due to Covid, with Tokyo 2020 being put back to 2021. It meant that for the first time ever, there was the unprecedented situation of FIBA Women's EuroBasket and an Olympics taking place within weeks of each other.
"For me it [Covid] was not devastating because I saw it as an extra year to get better - I remember thinking that," recalled Meesseman.
"Of course, we were at the situation where Ann Wauters was at the end of her career and this was a year longer which was gonna hurt her. But she was able to get through it.
"But for me, I saw I was turning it into a positive thing because we were doing so great, and we could definitely use an extra year to mature, to get extra experience. Even more people were starting to play outside of Belgium in bigger leagues.
"So I think it didn't necessarily have to be a bad thing, but course it was also a heavy summer with EuroBasket and the Olympics."
Belgium finished in Valencia by taking their second EuroBasket medal, occupying the last podium step, with Meesseman in the All-Star Five once again. "I remember for me personally not celebrating the bronze medal", she admitted.
"I felt that we could have done more. In general I'm okay with results as long as I know we gave our all and we have no regrets and the other team was just better than us. But that was just not the case.
"I think it was Serbia we lost against in the Semi-Final by one point, and that was just one game I didn't feel it, didn't play good or how I wanted to play. I was not able to say 'Okay, Serbia is just the better team at this point' because I felt like there was more. "So I just remember that feeling. I'm still happy to have a bronze medal of course, but there was something more possible."
First Olympic footsteps
Just weeks after leaving Spanish soil, Meesseman and Belgium were in Tokyo and making their Olympic debut. It ended in despair as they lost an all-time classic in a dramatic Quarter-Final game for the ages against Japan. Despite not making the Semi-Finals, the forward still landed deserved All-Star Five honors. "It was my first Olympics, so I, was not able to compare it to anything else," said Meesseman.
"I did the WNBA bubble, so I had some kind of experiences with a bubble. And also once I was in the Olympic Village, it was heaven for me - all these athletes.
"It shouldn't matter if there's people there or not. My family was still watching and it was still amazing what we were doing. "I didn't want to go to sleep. It should have just lasted forever 'cause it was so amazing. Seeing all these countries together. I felt like I was back in the Scouts again. I used to go to the jamboree in England and so it was the same feeling.
"Everybody there has one goal and had worked their whole life for this. Like, you play for your country or you do whatever you want for your dream, without maybe getting a lot in return. But the feelings that we get and the memories, there's no price on that."
"I remember the day after that [Japan loss]. I was shattered and I don't think we realized how close we were to an Olympic medal.
"I remember saying the day after, 'I hope one day I can look back and be proud of it.' And it took a while, but I am proud of it, and I do know that for me personally, I could have not done nothing more. Not physically, not mentally. I was there in the moment. I gave it my all.
"There's nothing in my hands that I could have done to change the outcome. So for me, it would be a shame to have a negative feeling about the Olympics, 'cause it's still the Olympics [despite Covid]. "It's something magical that I've never even thought that I would be capable of doing."
Sydney 2022 and an inevitable wake-up call
After the thrills of their debut four years earlier, Belgium were looking to do great things at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022 in Sydney.
However, an injury to Meesseman during the competition derailed any realistic prospect of a maiden global medal as they took a still creditable 5th place. "In the moment it was frustrating, but it's something that should have happened to me because I was doing too much," reflected Meesseman with brutal honesty.
I'm grateful actually for that injury 'cause I think I would've hit a wall afterwards if that hadn't happened
"I was doing everything all in one season, and I was coming from Chicago, like, just getting out in the WNBA Semi-Finals, going straight to Australia, my body said no.
"And I was already stressing, like, 'Ugh, I'm so tired - how I'm gonna do this after the World Cup?' And just as my body said no, I felt the weight going off my shoulders.
"For me, it was a first learning moment of how it's not only basketball, you know? You have to take care of yourself. And if the mental is so tired as well, you should take some time off, and then afterwards you'll feel better.
"I'm grateful actually for that injury 'cause I think I would've hit a wall afterwards if that hadn't happened."
Crowned first-time FIBA Women's EuroBasket champions
Six years after the magic of their first ever FIBA Women's EuroBasket medal, Meesseman was the inspiration and TISSOT MVP for the Cats' maiden title. They won with a great team effort in 2023 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. It marked the greatest moment in the history of Belgian basketball.
Meesseman said: "It wasn't by accident as I think we really dominated that tournament and we deserved it because of the way we were playing. We were dominating and having fun on the court and I think everybody could see that."
"It was just so fun that with every game, there were more fans that travelled from Belgium, which is insane. Traveling to Slovenia just for fun and to watch basketball. "I think the crowd has grown with the team. Like, the hype has been growing since 2017. It's so much fun and it gives us so much energy."
"The funny part is that at FIBA U18 Women's EuroBasket in Romania, Oradea where we won the trophy in 2011, my childish logic was like, well, if we do this now in A division [at youth level] and we all get older, you play the same people.
"So, the logical thing is you win gold in the senior level, you know? It's harder than that, of course, but the fact is that it did happen with a lot of the same players- "It's you know, it's a circle of life."
The 'Miracle of Lille'
What happened at Paris 2024 probably encapsulated all the roller-coaster elements of the ride that Meesseman and Belgium have been on. Backed by phenomenal and unforgettable support, they looked down and out after a big opening day loss.
But they then pulled off one of the greatest escapes ever to emerge from the group phase. Taking the 27 point win they needed against Tokyo Olympic runners-up Japan to advance.
With Belgium's flag-bearer Meesseman again making the All-Star Five, they came up short against Australia in the Bronze Medal game. It made for one of the most memorable and emotional tournaments of all.
"Well, I have two first Olympics and I call it that way. The most unique event ever at Tokyo 2020 and then now I could share Paris 2024 with my family and all the fans," said Meesseman.
"I was looking in the stands [in Lille] and I saw people, like ex-teachers from high school, from the lower schools, friends that I was in class with, the scouts, other people. I think I was just so happy that I could share it."
I looked at all these thousands of people... all Belgians. It was insane. I don't even think people realize how we feel even now. I can't describe it with words. That's how magical it was
"You miss so many things of your life [as a player], but then you get to see why. People, when I see them on the street or see them again, they still talk about Lille and Paris."
"I remember driving to Lille Stadium from Belgium because we were staying in Belgium. The highway was all Belgium. The cars driving by us, all Belgium flags and they were all beeping. They were all waving because they saw it was the Belgium team bus.
"It's a feeling I will never forget. We're 12 girls playing basketball, and I looked at all these thousands of people, when we were driving to the stadium - all Belgians. It was insane.
"I don't even think people realize how we feel even now. I can't describe it with words. That's how magical it was"
"But then we play, the first game, which was a huge disappointment and I thought like, honestly, it's over. Did we do all this work for this, for us to play like this? "We had USA in the group and then you have Japan. So if you are a realistic person, there's no way that you say at the Olympics you're gonna beat Japan by 27 [to advance]. You have to be honest. Like, if you're realistic - that's not happening. "But it happened - 'The miracle of Lille!' "I remember I was even in a mode like, I don't wanna know how many points we need. I'm just gonna go all out. You know, for the fans, for myself - 'cause I want to have the feeling that at least we did this at the Olympics.
"So I just wanna enjoy that crowd one more time. I remember us, like, posting 'Fans, we need you' and like 'give us all your energy' and 'let us enjoy this one last time'.
It was still history to have that many fans for basketball. So I was just going all out, just going crazy and we all did. And then in the end after the buzzer, I was asking 'Did we do it?' "It was a little more negative than Tokyo because I just remember us being exhausted. We had this long game with France and overtime [in the Semi-Finals] and then we had to play Australia."
The 'Miracle of Piraeus'
And disappointment at missing out again on a global medal was diluted considerably when Belgium retained their cherished FIBA Women's EuroBasket title in the most dramatic of circumstances against Spain.
Widely considered as the most classic and epic Final in competition history, Belgium came back from the dead, with Meesseman making history by taking consecutive TISSOT MVP accolades.
"We call it the 'Miracle of Piraeus' so we have booked two already," smiled Meesseman.
"But how do you even look back? I think for all the talk, it's kind of a lesson - to never ever give up."
The Last Frontier
Now the next chapter in both Meesseman's amazing career and in the rise of an incredible Belgian Cats team could be about to be written in Berlin.
Fourth in Tenerife in 2022 and also fourth at Paris 2024, they have come so close. But they must take one more step to finally conquer what feels like the last frontier and secure a landmark global medal.
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