ANG - Artemis looks to follow in mother's footsteps

LUANDA (World Championship for Women) - Artemis Barbosa is trying to emulate her mother's basketball career.

Maria Barbosa Afonso, best known as 'Manu', was a household name both in her native Angola as well as Portugal, where she played most of her professional career.

Manu represented Angola at AfroBasket Women 2007. She tried to realize a career dream of playing at the Beijing Olympics, but retired at the age of 40, immediately after her country fell short at the 2008 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Now, her 21-year-old daughter Artemis is living her mother’s combative reputation. She was one of the leading scorers at the 2009 FIBA Africa U16 Championship in Bamako, Mali, and is now chasing a place in Angola's final roster for the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women taking place in Istanbu and Ankara, Turkey from 27 September to 5 October.

Although Artemis - who plays for Olivais de Coimbra in her native Portugal - has represented Angola on the world the stage during the 2012 FIBA 3x3 World Championship in Athens and the 2010 Youth Olympics, she is yet to make her debut for the senior team.

The 1.78m forward is one of the 16 players in head coach Anibal Moreira's preliminary squad, which has been holding a training camp in Angolan capital city of Luanda.

During Manu's national team career, Angola never played a world championship. This is what makes Artemis' pre-selection a family matter for the Barbosas.

If key players like Catarina Camufal, Nadir Manuel and Clarisse Mpaka don't recover from injuries in time for the World Championship, Artemis - who has hypothetical chances of making the final roster - could see her chances increase significantly.

If successful, Artemis would line out for the team that will face Serbia, the USA and China in the Group Phase in Istanbul.

Angola preliminary squad for FIBA World Championship for Women: Ana Goncalves, Fineza Eusebio, Helena Francisco, Leticia Andre, Luisa Tomas, Nacissela Mauricio, Rosa Gala, Sonia Guadalupe, Angelina Golome, Catarina Camufal, Clarisse Mpaka, Elsa Eduardo, Mereciana Fernandes, Nadir Manuel, Ngiendula Filipe, Rosemira Daniel, Helena Viega, Artemís Afonso, Mafalda Barcelos and Whitney Miguel.

FIBA