FIBA Basketball

    Statue for Brit ace Collins, Lithuania crashing and Sweden saving their skin headline top 10 talking points

    MUNICH (FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2019 Qualifiers) - It was another absorbing game day in the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2019 Qualifiers and we've been compiling the top 10 talking points from Wednesday.

    MUNICH (FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2019 Qualifiers) - It was another absorbing game day in the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2019 Qualifiers and we've been compiling the top 10 talking points from Wednesday.

    1. Calls for monument to Great Britain legend Collins 


    It was a dream February window for Great Britain as they beat Portugal and Israel on the road. While guard Stef Collins may not get the same kudos or attention as other international veterans, the most capped player in British basketball history put up 19 points and 10 boards against Israel, leading head coach Chema Buceta calling for a monument to be built to the legend for her service to the sport and her country!

    2. Deja-vu as Lithuania left heartbroken and have dreams crushed

     
    The crazy end to yet another close defeat for Lithuania summed up their campaign as they were edged out 78-76 in their must-win game in Hungary. They completely blew their opportunity to stay alive with some poor play in the clutch moments. They have lost three of four games by a combined 7 points. So, it's another Final Round missed [for leading players like Kamile Nacickaite and Gintare Petronyte] and also no potential trip to neighbors Latvia next year for all their fans.

    3. Sweden save their skin. Or have they?


    Sweden needed to bounce back from their big home loss to Italy last Saturday and showed they could handle the pressure by beating Croatia in front of an impressive crowd of more than 5,000 fans. By winning, they did indeed save their skin, but it remains to be seen if being blown out by Italy will prove fatal in the final shake-up. It's such a complex group that a three-way tie with Italy and Croatia could yet leave them exposed. 

    4. Who doesn't love a triple overtime?


    It's a long time since we can recall a triple overtime in Qualifiers as they are relatively rare in the international game in particular. But, Slovakia and Bosnia and Herzegovina served up a treat, with the former capping a stunning February double in following up last Saturday's win in Montenegro by taking this epic encounter 100-95. 

    5. Poland well off the pace and still in decline 


    Poland are not going to qualify for the Final Round yet again and it is perhaps how far off the pace they have been against Belarus [winless last year at the Final Round, remember] and Turkey which has been most worrying. Without the great names of the past decade such as Agnieszka Bibrzycka and Ewelina Kobryn, they don't seem to have the quality to punch at a level needed to reach major tournaments. For one of the most competitive countries in Europe domestically, and a traditional top table nation, it is a worrying time. 

    6. Special individual performances


    The best players in Europe exposed a major gulf in class in several games with some special numbers, including Alina Iagupova of Ukraine who went off for 39 points against Netherlands, with Maria Vadeeva 12-of-15 for 24 points in only 19 minutes for Russia against Albania!

    7. The next generation of senior rising stars


    Right across the competition we have seen a number of new faces emerge during qualification and Wednesday night was no different. Even if Finland were swept aside in France, teenage sensation Awak Kuier showed how she is developing rapidly. She had 10 boards against a strong French frontcourt and showed another side of her game.

    8. Oh so close...

    #PotanınPerileri 😍👏👏🇹🇷🏀

    A post shared by Türkiye Basketbol Federasyonu (@tbf) on


    It is hugely exciting for the unbeaten teams such as Spain, Russia, Turkey, Slovenia and Czech Republic who are all a flawless 4-0 and have all but one foot already planted in the Final Round. Don't book your flights just yet, but you can all go to the travel agency and start thinking about your plans for the opening phase in Latvia and Serbia.

    9. Marica Gajic


    Even if Bosnia and Herzegovina were left with tears after being on the wrong side of that triple overtime against Slovak Republic, you can't overlook the contribution of Marica Gajic. She had a jaw-dropping 39 points and 19 rebounds, to follow up her massive double-double last Saturday against Iceland. What a talent!

    10. Sweet plays - like this from Cecilia Zandalasini


    Once again we got an array of really nice plays from Wednesday's game day - one of our favorites being this from Italy's Cecilia Zandalasini who showed her quality and ability to entertain us all.

    All of our talking points are selected by our women's basketball specialist Paul Nilsen. You can follow him @basketmedia365

    FIBA