LAT – Basko: ‘It has given us a boost in confidence as we will meet Russia in Beijing ’
HAINING (FIBA Diamond Ball for Women) - Latvia could not have had a better start to their FIBA Diamond Ball for Women on Saturday. The Baltic country beat Russia 75-69 with point guard Gunta Basko scoring eight points and pulling down seven rebounds. Basko spoke to fiba.basketball after the win. FIBA: It’s not every day that a team ...
HAINING (FIBA Diamond Ball for Women) - Latvia could not have had a better start to their FIBA Diamond Ball for Women on Saturday.
The Baltic country beat Russia 75-69 with point guard Gunta Basko scoring eight points and pulling down seven rebounds.
Basko spoke to FIBA.com after the win.
FIBA: It’s not every day that a team beats Russia, so how does it feel to start the FIBA Diamond Ball with a win over the European Champions and your Olympic rivals?
Basko: It feels good but for the moment, it was a good preparation for us. I think today we showed what we can do. It has given us a boost in confidence as we will meet Russia at the Olympics. It feels good, we worked well and we deserved it.
FIBA: Latvia played at the FIBA Qualifying Event earlier this summer. How much time did your team take off and how long have you been back together, training?
Basko: We took two and a half weeks off. That's all we had, and we began training on July 7, so it has been almost a month. Things have gone really well. We have been working hard. We've had good practices in training and camps, but we know we need to keep working and get better.
FIBA: Gunta, Anete Jekabsone and you have had vital roles in this team. Another important member in the team is Ieva Tare, who was doubtful for the FIBA Diamond Ball but has recovered from a dislocated elbow that she picked up at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament. How important is to have Ieva back on the team from a psychological and performance standpoint for the team?
Basko: I think it's really important to have her back. She brings lots of experience. She brings lots of heart and dedication. She always works hard and it's always good to have her back.
FIBA: There are not going to be easy games for Latvia at the Olympics. What can we expect from your team in Beijing?
Basko: Just play hard, go out there and give it all each game.
FIBA: Is Latvia going to thrill the fans with exciting basketball as you did in Italy at the EuroBasket last summer?
Basko: That is our aim. Hopefully, if we are still injury free, yes, we will deliver.
FIBA: What is it that makes your team special?
Basko: We are from Latvia, we are special people (laughs). We are just close together and we are really good friends and that helps us on the court.
FIBA: Best of luck at the Diamond Ball and at the Olympics.
Basko: Thank you.
FIBA