Slovenia look to the future in vital first Qualifiers window

LJUBLJANA (FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2019 Qualifiers) - Slovenia are turning the page for the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2019 Qualifiers in the absence of two key veterans in Maja Erkic and Sandra Prsic.

Both long-serving players crowned their international careers via the considerable peak of a historic first-ever Final Round appearance for Slovenia earlier this year at FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017.

Now head coach Damir Grgic is hoping an exciting new generation can continue the momentum and pick up the baton, having shown their skills at youth level. 

While the roster still has leaders and hugely talented performers such as Teja Oblak, Nika Baric and the ever-improving Eva Lisec, there are a number of players on the roster, who made history by reaching the Final of the 2017 FIBA U20 Women's European Championship.

Annamaria Prezelj and Larisa Ocvirk were already part of the senior set-up and played in Prague, but now the likes of Aleksandra Kroslej, Marusa Senicar and Zala Friskovec are also being given an opportunity.

"We decided to rejuvenate the national team," confirmed Grgic.

"These are the twelve players who are most deserving of calling in the selected category at this moment, including promising basketball players who won this year's silver medal at the FIBA U20 Women's European Championship.

"In the first window we are facing two very demanding matches and I want to stay as modest as we have been before. It is important that a good atmosphere is established and we build the kind of relationship that we have shown in both of the previous qualifications and at the Final Round, where we had hoped for an even better result.

"I can not wait for the national team to compete and start preparations for the matches with Romania and Finland," added the play-caller.

Slovenia will also compete against France in Group E.

FIBA