Just a few days before the start of Eurobasket 2005, Russian coach Igor Grudin announced his final squad, with Svetlana Abrosimova making a welcome return to the side, and joining mates Maria Stepanova, Elen Chakirova, Oxana Rakhmatulina, Tatiana Shchegoleva and Ilona Korstine. Abrosimova, one of the Russian stars in the WNBA who shot to fame as a player while in college with the UConn Huskies, returned to Moscow from America for the final preparation with her national team on Aug. 28.
Spain's head coach Domingo Diaz also believed that his team's combination of youth and experience could propel his girls to success. Spanish women's basketball is on an upward curve at the moment and Diaz had capitalised on that by including six players who won a bronze medal in the recent Mediterranean Games in Almeria in July. The Spanish team took bronze in the last two FIBA European Championships, producing a stunning comeback against the Poles two years ago, and followed that by finishing sixth in the Athens Olympics.
The Czech Republic was another contender at the start of Eurobasket 2005. Last June, veteran forward Eva Nemcova had expressed her shock after being called up to the Czech Republic national team after a six-year absence. The 32-year-old Nemcova, who struggled with Achilles and knee injuries, returned after coach Jan Bobrovsky included the WNBA veteran in a training camp in Spindleruv Mlyn in the beginning of the summer.
The European competition started on Sept. 2. Latvia enjoyed a dream start by defeating Poland 75-62 as Poland never got on track against a team led by the dynamic Anete Jekabsone. The same day, the Czechs, who had to settle for silver at Eurobasket 2003, started their campaign with an astonishing 65-45 destruction of France, considered one of the stronger teams in the tournament. Meanwhile, anyone who thought that Greece would not be as fired up to play at the FIBA Eurobasket as they were as hosts of the Olympic Games learned quickly that they were wrong. Coming off emotional Olympics in 2004 when they achieved their aim of the quarterfinals, the blue and white team rode the hot hand of superstar Evanthia Maltsi to a 66-61 triumph over Germany of veteran center Marlies Askamp in Group A. Favourite Russia launched its Eurobasket title defense in grand style with a 92-60 thumping of Romania. Tatiana Shchegoleva led an impressive Russian attack with 20 points, while center Maria Stepanova had excellent stats in this first game: 15 points and 10 rebounds.
In Group B, Lithuania sprung the first upset of Eurobasket 2005 by defeating Spain 74-69 in its opening game. The Baltic country, champion in 1997, failed to qualify for the event in 2003 but made it to Turkey and hit the ground running against a very good Spanish team. Spanish NT's coach Diaz admitted the defeat in the opening match of the Eurobasket was a real cause for concern. The Spaniards looked to emulate the success of the last two European competitions, where the side won bronze medals on both occasions. Host nation Turkey, backed by 2,000 fans in Izmir, enjoyed a superb start by beating Serbia & Montenegro 81-69 in the last Group B game of day one. The Turks got a game-high 21 points from Yasemin Horasan in a triumph which was never as easy as the final score suggests.
A few days later, the French side was finding its rhythm. Emmeline Ndongue, Cathy Melain, Nicole Antibe and Sandra Le Dréan got more confidence as they seemed to improve quickly enough to challenge for medals. France defeated Latvia 67-50 on Aug. 4.
There was no surprise on Aug. 6 as the Czech Republic cruised to an easy win against Germany, 76-50. The Germans were always going to have their work cut out against a Czech side whose goal was to make it to the final. Latvia's small band of vociferous supporters were given a treat in Bursa on the same day as their side demolished Greece 76-47. There were no more than 30 of the team's most loyal fans, but they made their presence felt with cheerful and colourful support of their team during the tournament.
Elsewhere, Spain beated Serbia & Montenegro in Izmir for their third successive triumph. Once again it was the Amaya Valdemoro show, as the forward poured in 26 points, grabbed six rebounds and had six assists to propel her side to a 60-52 victory. In the wide open Group B, Russia's title defense looked very shaky after being dealt a second straight defeat in this Eurobasket by Lithuania. Two days after falling to Spain in overtime, Igor Grudin's team collapsed in the third quarter against the Lithuanians and surprisingly lost 80-67. On the other hand, lady luck was shining on Turkey as the hosts clinched a last-gasp victory over Romania to retain hope of qualifying for the quarterfinals.The Turkish team, which included Sebnem Kimyacioglu, who went to high school in the San Francisco Bay Area and played for Stanford, was edged out in the final minute by Lithuania but managed a 66-64 win a few days later to go 2-2 in Group B with just one game remaining.
On Sep. 7, Poland advanced to the quarterfinals with a 59-49 win over Greece. The win was a sweet reward for Poland, who only secured their spot in the tournament thanks to victory in the additional qualifying tournament. On the same day, the Czech Republic got into the quarterfinals as the only unbeaten team in the competition after thrashing Latvia. Eva Viteckova scored 18 points as the Czechs won 76-45 for their fifth triumph in as many Group A games.
France also had few problems in their final Group A encounter against Germany. After a close first half, France stepped up a gear in the third period and the Germans found it impossible to keep up. France then was given the opportunity to take revenge on Russia in the quarterfinals. Both nations faced each other at the same stage in 2003 and the Russians won 79-66 before going on to claim the championship.
On day five of the competition, European champion Russia ended a two-game losing streak with an 86-69 mauling of Serbia & Montenegro in Izmir. Igor Grudin's team, stung by losses to Spain and Lithuania, hit back in grand style with an impressive victory which was needed in order to ensure qualification to the next round. Meanwhile, Lithuania's march towards the last eight of the Eurobasket continued as they crushed Romania 92-56. Lithuania had been impressive again in Izmir. Finally, Amaya Valdemoro was still the star for Spain as Domingo Diaz's side went into the last eight by defeating Turkey 78-64. Valdemoro, the leading scorer in the group stage of the tournament and an early candidate for MVP, scored 16 points and also grabbed eight rebounds to nullify the threat of Turkey's Nevriye Yilmaz, another outstanding player on the court.
The Sept. 9 quarterfinals were set: Lithuania vs Poland; Spain vs Latvia; France vs Russia and the Czech Republic vs Turkey.
Spain was too strong for Latvia in the quarterfinals in Ankara. Spain, who was seeking to equal or improve on their bronze medal in 2003, overwhelmed the Latvians in a dominant first half performance. Spain convincingly saw off their Baltic opponents, opening up a 20-12 lead at the end of the first period and holding onto their advantage until the buzzer. In the greatest shock of these quarterfinals, there was to be no revenge for France in Ankara as they came up short -- Russia posted a well deserved 56-70 victory. The Czech Republic also ended the medal hopes of host nation Turkey by marching into the final four. The Czechs rolled to an 86-60 triumph and remained undefeated in this event. In the fourth quarterfinal, Lithuania staged a dramatic comeback in the fourth quarter to stun Poland 67-58 and reach the semifinals of the Eurobasket 2005.
On Sep. 10, Tatiana Shchegoleva poured in 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds as Russia triumphed 65-50 over Lithuania to book their place in the final. Igor Grudin's team had taken a while to flex their muscles in this tournament but did not hold back against the Lithuanians, who beat them earlier in the group stage. In the second semifinal, the Czechs held on to beat Spain 76-66 to set up a rematch of the Eurobasket 2003 showdown which saw them lose to Russia. Just as in 2003, Jan Bobrovsky's team reached the title game with an unblemished record in the competition. Bobrovsky hailed his side's performance over Spain and said that his squad had produced its best performance of the tournament.
That set up one of the most dramatic finishes in Eurobasket history as Eva Nemcova completed a dream tournament for the Czechs by burying a three-pointer with only eight seconds to lead her side to a thrilling gold-medal game triumph over Russia. She received a pass from Hanna Machova and hit the biggest shot of her career for a 71-70 advantage. Russia quickly took the ball up the court after Nemcova's clutch play, but Oxana Rakhmatulina was called for a turnover, giving the Czechs possession with just three seconds remaining. Bobrovsky's team inbounded the ball and two seconds ticked off the clock before Rakhmatulina was able to foul Eva Viteckova.The Czech forward missed the first, but made the second and the Russian players were unable to get off a desperation shot before the buzzer.One day later, the team that clinched the last spot for the 2006 World Championship in Brazil was known. Indeed, it was previously decided by FIBA that the top five sides from Europe would qualify for next year's tournament in South America and both France and Latvia were knocked out of medal contention when losing quarter-finals. Les Bleues salvaged their Eurobasket experience with an easy win against Latvia: 85-62. France finished fifth in the tournament and qualified for the next FIBA World Championship. Alain Jardel's team proved they were among the better sides in Ankara, and possibly the unluckiest of all after finishing second in Group A to Czechia and then being drawn against top favourite Russia in the quarter-finals.
In the match for third place, the Spanish team finished very well by beating Lithuania in Ankara. Valdemoro & Co. snatched bronze for the third time in a row. Having suffered a disappointing semi-final loss to the Czech team, Domingo Diaz's squad bounced back for a very convincing 83-65 win.
Russia had led by as many as 14 points in the second half but the Czechs staged a remarkable comeback to clinch a 72-70 victory. Nemcova, whose career had been in jeopardy because of injuries, battled back to make the team this summer and rewarded coach Bobrovsky for the faith he showed. Nemcova led her team with 18 points on seven of 15 shooting from the field. The Czech high-pressure defense paid off as the Russians were forced into 19 turnovers.
Maria Stepanova of Russia had 18 points and 12 rebounds in a losing effort and was selected as the 2005 Eurobasket Women MVP. She was a force during Russia's attempt to go for a second consecutive gold medal and led her team in points (18 ppg), rebounds (9.6 rpg) and blocked shots (2 bpg). The 6-8 Stepanova was joined on the All-Tournament Team by another Russian center: Tatiana Shchegoleva. Amaya Valdemoro (Spain), Hana Machova (Czech Republic) and Eva Viteckova (Czech Republic) rounded out the All-Tournament Team.
There was one other critical game in Eurobasket, as it was previously decided by FIBA that the top five sides from Europe would qualify for 06 World Championship in Brazil. That meant the fifth-place game between France and Latvia would decide who would make the trip to South America, and Les Bleues salvaged their Eurobasket experience with an easy win against Latvia: 85-62. Alain Jardel's team proved they were among the better sides in Ankara, and possibly the unluckiest of all after finishing second in Group A to Czechia and then being drawn against powerful Russia in the quarterfinals.
In the match for third place, the Spanish team finished very well by beating Lithuania in Ankara. Valdemoro & Co. snatched bronze for the third time in a row. Having suffered a disappointing semifinal loss to the Czech team, Domingo Diaz's squad bounced back for a very convincing 83-65 win.
So the final standings of Eurobasket 2005 looked like this: 1. Czech Republic, 2. Russia, 3. Spain, 4. Lithuania, 5. France, 6. Latvia, 7. Poland, 8. Turkey, 9. Serbia & Montenegro, 10. Greece, 11. Germany, 12. Romania.
During the tournament, German national team coach Olaf Stolz called on the German Basketball Federation and the German Women's Basketball League to put their heads together and try to find the reasons behind his side's disappointing show at the Eurobasket. Germany lost their first three group games and never forced a miracle to qualify for the quarterfinals. Stolz said that he could have no complaints with the way his side had performed given its lack of international experience.
Also worth mention is the continued success of the Spanish women's national team program, which is building popularity of basketball in a country which had long been at the forefront of men's hoops.
The tournament was also the first time ever that the Turkish women national team participated in the final round of a FIBA European Championship. Despite a lack of top level competition in the past, the Turks are now looking to be more than competitive. Last July, their preparation for Eurobasket 2005 began with an outstanding display at the Mediterranean Games where they won the bronze medal. Turkey beat Greece (the seventh-place finisher in the 2004 Olympic Games) in the semifinals and went on to defeat Croatia in a nailbiting final: 68-66. After the Mediterranean Games, the Turkish side appeared at the "Velka cena Slovenska" tournament in Slovakia where they finished second behind Lithuania.
Romania's last place finish was not surprising, since the women's game in the only Latin country of Eastern Europe does not have a figure like former NBA giant Gheorghe Muresan (former center of the Washington Bullets as well as the New Jersey Nets) in its history. Romania's women NT qualified for the Euro 2005 after winning five of their six qualifying games. Romanian women's basketball is passing through a period of transition and it will be very hard for the national team to fight with the real forces in basketball.
Major Romanian players already missed preparation time with the group: guard Monica Brosovszky, who averaged 14.7 points per game and scored 20 in Romania's 54-51 victory over Germany during qualifying, was on her honeymoon; forward Erszebet Ambrus, who played more than 26 minutes per game in the qualification round, is expecting a baby; center Florina Pascalau left the country to sort out a club contract; etc.
The opening round of the additional qualifying tournament for Eurobasket 200, held in August to determine the final qualifier for Turkey, also revealed some teams that are in the rebuilding stage. Slovakia women's head coach Jozef Resetar was happy with his national team's efforts despite only finishing in third position at the "Velka cena Slovenska" tournament. Losses to final tournament winner Lithuania as well as Turkey prevented the Slovaks from taking the honours in the tournament. Nevertheless, Resetar was happy as it allowed him to experiment with his lineup before the start of the additional qualification tournament. During the first weekend of August, it paid off as Italy's women crashed to Slovakia in the opening round of this additional qualifying tournament. The Azzurre of coach Lambruschi fell behind early in the game and were blown away 82-66 by Resetar's NT in Kosice.
Elsewhere, Ukraine had mixed fortunes in their opening two games of the qualifying tournament. After defeating Bulgaria 77-47, Ukraine lost a heartbreaker to Israel a few days later, falling 69-67. The Israeli NT's hopes looked bleak after Croatia beat them 74-66 in the opening game of the additional qualifying round in Group C but Israel bounced back to win a thriller against the Ukrainians, a game in which the Israeli girls made 13 of 16 free throws. Israel was more confident after their close triumph over Ukraine and coach Eli Rabi gave his players a chance to make it all the way to the Eurobasket in the Bosphorus area. Despite the Israeli optimism, Ukraine finally qualified for the final stage of the additional qualifying tournament and Ukrainian coach Maryna Tkachenko could just see a bright future for her national team. In an interview to a FIBA Europe correspondent last month, Tkachenko explained that she had seen enough in the additional qualifying round for the Euro to know that the Ukrainian team would fly high in the years ahead.
In mid-August, Ivan Benninghaus, the vice-president of the Slovak Basketball Federation, urged his women's national team to keep concentration in their Eurobasket 2005 qualification return match against Italy. Slovakia won the first meeting in Kosice by a final margin of 16 points. The Slovaks remained big favourites to make it through the second encounter on aggregate and therefore guarantee top spot in their group.
At this point, Poland, Ukraine and the Slovak Republic all had their Eurobasket hopes alive. These three nations all had the chance to grab the final Eurobasket 2005 spot after securing victories in their respective groups of the additional qualifying round. Poland was the survivor, and justified its place in Eurobasket by finishing seventh, even without Margo Dydek, who stayed in the United State to play with the Connecticut Sun.