Vadeeva gets green light from Russia

MOSCOW (EuroBasket Women 2015) - Russia have decided to include 16-year-old Maria Vadeeva in their final squad for EuroBasket Women 2015.

The teenage sensation is in the 12-strong side taking part in the 20-team event in Hungary and Romania from 11-28 June.

Vadeeva was the MVP of the 2014 U16 European Championship Women and played this season for Sparta&K M.R. Vidnoje.

Russia head coach Anatoliy Myshkin has given the center a chance and she will now be right at the top of the watch-list of young players at the tournament.

Vadeeva will be supported in the paint by club team-mate Ksenia Tikhonenko, who will also debut, while another Sparta&K player in Daria Namok has also been named in the squad.

Elena Beglova and Anastasia Logunova are also in line to make their bows for the senior women.

It looks like Russia's real powering force could come from the backcourt and the shooting guard spots, via the naturalised Ephipanny Prince, EuroBasket Women 2011 MVP Elena Kirillova (formerly Elena Danilochkina) and Evgenia Belyakova, who played very well last summer in qualifying.

There will also be the continued presence of long-serving center Irina Osipova, who will play at her sixth Final Round having debuted way back during 2001.

The roster also threw up a couple of major surprises with the omission of forward Anna Petrakova and shooting guard Marina Karpunina.

The former has just signed for UMMC Ekaterinburg after a highly-productive season in the Russian League with Dynamo Moscow, while Karpunina played a significant role in qualification.

Dynamo Kursk forward Kristina Alikina also missed out.

Russia are scheduled to go up against Group C rivals Great Britain, Croatia, Serbia and Latvia in Szombathely.

Russia final roster for EuroBasket Women 2015: Elena Beglova, Evgenia Belyakova, Elena Kirilova, Marina Kuzina, Anastasia Logunova, Daria Namok, Irina Osipova, Epiphanny Prince, Liudmila Sapova, Ksenia Tikhonenko, Maria Vadeeva, Natalia Vieru.

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

FIBA