Marginean heads Romania's EuroBasket Women 2015 candidate list

BUCHAREST (EuroBasket Women 2015) - EuroLeague Women star Gabriela Marginean is the headline act on a 16 strong candidate list announced by EuroBasket Women 2015 co-hosts Romania.

The 1.82m forward will carry a large chunk of her nation's hopes on her shoulders and she was the first name everybody was looking for as head coach Florin Nini and his assistant Alex Radu revealed the pool of players they will select from.

Currently playing in the TKBL Play-Offs with Agu Spor Kulubu, Marginean will join up with her national team-mates at a later stage, with the bulk of the squad heading to their base for a camp which begins on Thursday.

Other notable names on the roster include veteran playmaker Annemarie Parau, who will step out at a EuroBasket Women having first appeared at the event some 14 years ago, when only 17-years-old.

The team will be able to draw on the vast experience of Florina Pascalau, the first Romanian player to have stepped onto a WNBA court, while there are also exciting and dynamic emerging stars on the list such as Sonia Ursu, Claudia Pop and Marquette University standout Cristina Bigica.

The coaching staff also have high hopes that Eliszabeth Pavel can show her qualities, while the ever reliable Anca Stoenescu arriving into camp on a real high, having helped Targoviste claim the Romanian Championship.

A total of three players who had been expected to challenge for a place on the team were ruled out, with Alexandra Uiuiu suffering a serious injury at Romanian Final Four, Anita Meszaros suffering a re-occurrence of a knee problem and Hanna Demeter requiring meniscus surgery.

Romania will go up against Czech Republic, France, Montenegro and Ukraine in Group A, with games taking place in Timisoara.

Romania preliminary roster for EuroBasket Women 2015: Cristina Bigica, Alina Craciun, Gabriela Cursaru, Cristiana Cutas, Romina Filip, Gabriela Irimia, Gabriela Marginean, Andreea Orosz, Annemarie Parau, Florina Pascalau, Eliszabeth Pavel, Claudia Pop, Anca Sipos, Adina Stoedin, Anca Stoenescu, Sonia Ursu.

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

FIBA