Chema Buceta believes GB Women can climb even higher
Head coach Chema Buceta knows his team believe in each other.
And the Spaniard is sure a Great Britain side who are the inspiration for the female game in this country can achieve even more.
Buceta has created a unity among his players that saw them seal a historic fourth-place finish at the summer’s EuroBasket Women in Latvia and Serbia.
With another round of EuroBasket qualification under way and Olympic qualifying to come in February, that isn’t about to change.
“Understanding the importance of commitment and trust is the difference between being good and being excellent,” he said.
“You have to understand which players you have and what their needs are. After that you have to adapt. The coach has to be the person who adapts to the talent that he has.”
During their monumental run during the last few years, the GB team have gained a reputation for punching above their weight.
“It doesn’t matter what your needs are as a coach, what is important is what the players need.
“If we want to fight at this level, we cannot forget what our weapons were. We cannot forget the spirit that we created. This is key.
“Now we are talking about playing the top teams in the world. That was unbelievable a few months ago. We are the underdogs in this group, but we were also the underdogs at the EuroBasket and we were able to achieve something.”
Buceta has thrown his weight behind Basketball England’s All Girls campaign to boost all aspects of the female game – and his team are figureheads for the initiative.
“This is a great opportunity for not only women’s basketball, but for women’s sport to grow,” he added. “This is what’s important – when you are able to show the things that are possible when many young girls are looking.”
A version of this interview first appeared in The Independent. Read it in full HERE